Tangled Possessions
by Madhatterai
Summary: Castiel is the first octopus-shifter for decades. Seen as a freak in school, he stays in the back of the class, not calling attention to himself. But wolf shifter, Dean Winchester, smells "mate" every time he sees the beautiful octopus, and he just has to have him. It helps when he knows Castiel had been crushing on him since the first day of school.
1. Chapter 1

So, for those wondering, you can read up to chapter 12 on my ao3 (sakurai_ai)

I will have it all posted up here by today, as well as its continuation.

* * *

Eight.

The purplish tentacles that acted as Castiel Novak's legs wrapped around one another under the jeans he wore. He kept them hidden, always hidden. But there were eight of them. Eight tentacles that had basically ruined his life. He was a freak, a hybrid, some mistaken lab experiment that had escaped and was going to terrorise the world.

Well, okay, maybe not. Everyone had a trait, something that was almost animal like, stronger hearing, able to run faster, leap higher.

But Castiel, he had eight tentacles for feet.

He was a freak to his own kind. He hadn't met anyone else who was like him, there only marine based people were those who had gills and were able to breathe under water. His older brother, Gabriel, had beautiful gills, and could turn his legs into a golden tail at will...

No one had fins! Or tentacles!

But Castiel still had to live a normal, everyday life. This was where his life was going to hell.

The evening sun was setting in the horizon, fusing the skies with its beautiful arrays of reds and oranges. The large university building was completely empty, the students having left long ago. Why was he still here? Why was he doing this?

He stood on the roof of the main building, the faint sound of school club members and late leavers still in school for that evening came from the distance, but he paid no heed to them. It was only him he saw.

Dean Winchester.

His heart pounded when Dean took a small step forward and approached Castiel, his blonde hair styled as if he'd run his fingers haphazardly through them moments before, two tufts of wolf ears pressed low into his head. His intense, green eyes were glimmering with nervousness and his bushy tail swished back and forth behind his legs.

Oh…god. Dean Winchester was beautiful.

Castiel had been utterly besotted in Dean when he had seen him in front of the main gates on their university induction, infatuated in his innocent smile, his alluring candy green eyes, his swishing blonde tail and his deep voice. But after spending two years sitting behind him in class, Castiel had fallen deeply in love with him, fallen in love with watching his wolf ears swivel this way and that, the smooth nape of his pale neck, his wide, sloping shoulders, his muscular arms and long fingers that Castiel wanted desperately to feel on his skin. He had only witnessed the tremendous pools of Dean's eyes when he'd pass worksheets to him and give Castiel one of his breath taking smiles.

That was usually the highlight of Castiel's day.

Oh…he could spend hours just watching the wolf.

He desperately wanted Dean to just turn slightly in his chair and see that Castiel was sitting there, quivering tentacles and all. Of course Dean had said hello to him every morning. He was such a gentleman after all. But that's where the familiarity lay. Nothing more, nothing less.

Who would want a man with freakish tentacles?

Dean was the only man he had watched, desperately wanting him to glance back, to notice. To notice him outside of his freakishness. The only man he had even considered the word 'mate' with. Octopuses mated for life, and Castiel knew he was well and truly fucked.

Dean was dressed in faded jeans today, a simple t-shirt that stretched over his chest and a plaid shirt over it, but to Castiel, he looked like a handsome prince of some long ago fairy tale. He held his arms out to Castiel, a small white envelope clutched tightly in his grasp.

No. Not again. Please, not him as well!

This had to be a dream.

Damn it. He hated having a gorgeous tenant live in the apartment below him. But rent was very expensive for him to live alone. So his teacher had offered the cat-shifter classmate, Cassie to stay in the room below him. It was the only viable solution after all. Octopuses and cats didn't mix well. Feline shifter's hated water, and marine-based shifter's didn't like being eaten by them.

So many men had come to him, and handed him similar envelopes with their undying affection towards Cassie Robinson.

A few times, Castiel had actually thought they were for him, that people actually liked him.

Who was he kidding? No one noticed him sitting in the back of the class room. He wouldn't dare speak in class, every time he did, they would turn, see his poorly hidden tentacles and laugh. They only ever noticed him because of Cassie.

"Could you give this to Cassie?"

Every time, every single time, Castiel would walk to the roof, park, meadow, wherever, hoping that one man, just one man, would want to give him a love letter.

"This is for Cassie, please give it to her,"

Cassie Robinson, the pretty one. Everyone loved the pretty and bright Cassie, with her slim figure, her cat like grace, her furry ears peeking out from her dark hair, her beauty. No one noticed the bulbous, tentacles mess that was Castiel. He would sit in the back of class, staring out of the window so he couldn't witness the many men that flocked around the pretty dark skinned brunette.

So he knew that this man, holding that envelope out to him, was going to say those heart breaking words.

Why was fate so cruel?

"Let me guess," He murmured, cutting to the chase, not wanting Dean to speak. If Dean did, Castiel knew he would melt under that deep, mesmerising voice, or get completely lost in those beautiful eyes. "You want me to give this to Cassie?"

Castiel sucked in a deep breath and darted his gaze down, not wanting to look Dean in the face. Would he be able to take it? Knowing that this man, the one man he had fallen so desperately in love with, would be pining over Cassie? Realistically, he knew this was bound to happen. The most popular man and woman in the school were destined to end up together. It was fairy tale. The rest could not compete with such a thing. It was only a matter of time.

But he still loathed the idea that he was going to give Dean's love letter to another woman.

He narrowed his gaze, angry at himself for having fallen in love with a man who was just like the others. They were all after the pretty face, the easy shifters, the models. Cat-shifters were adorable, and fierce and beautiful. Every single one of them.

Castiel was tired of it all.

"You think you're so cool," He muttered slowly, his tentacles squirming under his jeans, they always did when he was emotional. His gaze still didn't meet Dean's. He couldn't bear to see the chuckle Dean was probably trying to hide at his deformity. He was a gentleman after all. He'd hold it in and then laugh when Castiel was gone. "But I guess since you're so popular, the girls' won't like it."

He took hold of the letter and let out a low sigh. His grip desperately wanted to tighten against the soft paper, crumple it up, rip it apart and hope that Dean's feelings would do the same.

His gaze dropped at the name in Dean's script.

For Cas.

His heart stopped.

"I can't give this to Cassie," His eyes narrowed at the missive again and he strained at his words. "You missed a few letters, Winchester,"

Dean smirked. "Idiot, it's for you."


	2. Chapter 2

Warning: love sick Castiel. The pining his heavy with this one.

The large university was completely empty as the drizzly morning rain fell heavily from the darkened skies. The serene pitter-patter of the rain hitting cobblestone and tar ground was interrupted by the heavy, squelching footfalls as Castiel Novak ran at an increasingly fast pace.

 _I'm such an idiot._

He scolded himself. He shouldn't have spent such a long time trying to hide his stupid tentacles, and now they were tied too tightly together in two bunches and stuffed into his jeans, socks and shoes. His 'feet' were hurting, squished into those shoes. He was always like this around water, his tentacles wanted out, they wanted to bask in the rain - he did too, he loved the water. He had a pool in his home just for him and his aquatic family to roam around in. But his tentacles always bloated up, wanting to get the rain water on every inch of their smooth skin. At this time of the year, he would never be used to four bloated tentacles being pressed tight together in bandages and stuffed into those leather loafers.

Who invented shoes anyway?

He rushed passed the bike stands, trying to make his way into the school entrance. The chime of bells made his pace quicken.

 _I can make it!_ Castiel thought to himself as he continued on, rounding through the large fountain in the middle of the long entrance to the elite private university building.

If he was late, and his classmates' eyes drew on his entrance…

He sighed and dodged through others students, feeling a throbbing pain in his tentacles, he had tied them too tight this morning, not expecting the rain, he had been in too much of a rush. But those bandages were the only thing that prevented others from laughing or calling him a freak. It hid the obvious from strangers.

But thanks to his bandages, in every school he ever attended, the principals would look at him, at what was hidden under his jeans and give himthat look. Their eyes downcast in sympathy, sucking a heavy breathe in through their teeth, as they tried to look anywhere but him. No other shifter had tentacles...

Castiel _hated_ that look.

The final bell for the start of class tolled, bringing Castiel back to reality. He looked up to see the school building approaching before him. Adrenaline kicked in as he quickened his pace. Out of breath, he reached his classroom and slid the door open quietly, he stood at the door frame, trying to catch his breath.

No one gazed at him. Thank goodness.

Shrugging his long, soaked hood over his head, he quickly shuffled over to his seat at the back of the class, nearest to the window. He loved sitting there, witnessing the sunbeams in the summer, the patter of rain against the window in spring, the falling leaves in autumn and the blistering cold in winter. It was the best seat, overlooking the entrance of the school.

He barely noticed the teacher walk in and greet the class, his gaze was fixated on the trees and the drops of rain against the large fountain. The doors opened once again and a familiar scent of cherries, metal and freshness rose. Castiel knew who it was without having to look.

The scent screamed 'mate'.

Dean Winchester.

And didn't his life suck because of that.

Charlie, pretty red head, rushed over to Dean as he entered the classroom, holding onto his arm. He reached for her hand, taking a quick scent of her, it must have been a wolf thing. "Another morning, another close call."

"Chalk up another win for team Winchester!" A blonde woman yelled from the front of the full class.

"You know it," Dean smiled at his friends and fellow classmates, greeting them as he made his way to his seat at the back of the class, directly in front of Castiel.

"Morning, Novak." He flashed a heart melting smile, head tilting to the side slightly, as if waiting for Castiel to smile back. He was at least six foot one or two, spiked and styled blonde hair that begged to be tousled by someones fingers, and those beautiful deep, candy green eyes.

Castiel could see his clavicle through the first few unbuttoned buttons of his shirt. An insane urge swept over him, it made him want to rip off Dean's shirt – see the rest of him. Explore every inch of the smooth flesh he knew he'd find beneath the material, and see for himself just how far those sun kissed freckles went. Castiel wanted to wrap him tight in his tentacles, and leave circular sucker marks all over that pale skin.

How would Dean taste, all wrapped up in his tentacles? Would he be scared? Would he tremble? Would he moan?

Castiel quickly broke out of his trance. Sucking in a breath, he wanted desperately for words to release from his mouth. But, he choked, sucked another breath and tugged his hood over his head, looking away from Dean.

 _What is wrong with you?_ Castiel heard Dean chuckle, the low timbre that made the octopus shifter melt.

"Good talk," Dean said, giving another smile, showing his... _o_ _h god, dimples!_

"Dean!" Another familiar voice grated into Castiel's ears. Castiel didn't need to look up to see who this person was either, the high pitched drawl made his insides tighten in anger, and his bloated tentacles flurry. The pretty porcelain princess, Cassie Robinson.

There was no doubt that Cassie was pretty, model-like in fact. She had definitely been given all of the luck in the world. She would be the future president, provided she was clever. Fortunately for Castiel, what Cassie had in beauty, she lacked in brains.

Like that mattered.

Taking a quick glance up from under his hood, Castiel saw all of the men – and some women – watching with admiration at the dark skinned feline who was sitting on her desk next to Castiel's, talking animatedly to the few men that braved enough to flock around her.

Stupid cat and her pretty tail and ears. Why couldn't he be something as simple as that?

Castiel felt his table jostle as someone stumbled into it. He looked up to see Dean hold a book up in the air as if he just caught it.

"You alright, Novak?" He asked, looking so concerned for the octopus that Castiel felt his tentacles turn to jelly, he was thankful he was sitting down, if he wasn't he would have been a puddle on the floor.

Dean Winchester was worried about him!

Castiel let out a squeak as an answer, making the wolf shake his head and give the book back to the winged Uriel, he was probably the one who had thrown it. Dean growled something low to the avian student and took his seat in front of Castiel.

Peering up, Castiel saw Uriel stare at him with disgust or fear, Castiel wasn't sure, and then at Dean, and then he retreated back to his seat.

What was that about?

But it didn't matter, because Dean had asked him if he was okay! Castiel let out a faint smile, another wonderful day of watching the back of Dean's head awaited him.

When he was younger, he never understood the fascination some people would have over a someone's ass, hands, chest, legs or whatever fetishes they had. He guessed he had a neck fetish because he could not get enough of that smooth, supple neck, the almost invisible Adams apple that bobbed up and down when Dean spoke. Oh god, a perfectly round sucker kiss would bruise that skin up so good...

No way was Dean even thinking about him.

He reached into his bag, taking out a few more textbooks for his class, and his fingers brushed against Dean's love letter. The letter Dean had given him the night before. He clutched the letter in his grasp and placed it back into his bag once again. He let out a loud sigh. He'd have to give it to Cassie soon, it was only right, but he would delay that as much as possible.

Their teacher chose then to announce the start of the lesson, glasses fixed on her face as she stood at the very front of the class.

"Okay guys, settle down," She said, watching calmly as the many students sat in their assigned seats around the classroom. "Class is about to begin."


	3. Chapter 3

Class had finally ended and Castiel was glad for it. He put all his things back into his bag, making sure everything was in its place. His fingers wrapped around the envelope. Dean's love letter. He sucked in a breath as his thoughts returned to yesterday afternoon.

Dean Winchester had laughed at him. Well more like chuckle. But he had mocked him with the letter, letting the octopus shifter think it was for just couldn't take it, Dean was softly chuckling at him, but Castiel knew he wanted to laugh at him, out loud. Every wanted to, and every one usually did.

His stupid tentacles always made people laugh or make jokes, even when he hid them.

Castiel hated how much of a gentleman Dean was being. Just…laugh at his face and get it over with. It was better to know what they were saying about him than doing it behind his back. Who knew what else they thought about him?

He had shoved Dean's letter in his bag and told the wolf that he'd give it to Cassie as it was, misspelled and scrunched up. He didn't wait for Dean's reply. Instead he ran, leaving the wolf there, alone, on the rooftop. Praying he didn't laugh loud enough for Castiel to hear as he left the school.

He hadn't had a chance to give the letter to Cassie last night. To be honest, he didn't want to. Even though he now knew Dean Winchester was just like the rest, he was still…Dean.

Castiel tightened his grip on the pretty blue letter clutched in his hands, under his table. Dean was the only person in the entire school who he had hesitated on. Usually he'd take the love letters from their shivering hands and give them straight to Cassie. He didn't bother looking at the envelopes, or seeing the look on Cassie's face when she was handed the letters. It didn't matter to him, and Cassie didn't even seem fazed by it. After all, she received so many that she was getting used to it.

But…not his. Please.

Oh, who was he kidding? He knew that, eventually, he'd have to be brave and give the love letter to Cassie. He was the bridge that would connect the two together. The man he loved and the woman who lived with him.

Dean probably never even noticed him, sitting in the back, watching him like some kind of creep. He was probably too busy waiting for Cassie to reply to his confession. Castiel looked down to the letter crumpled in his grasp.

Damn it.

He knew that if he were in Dean's shoes he'd be sad if the person didn't even notice his confession. Dean trusted him to give his feelings to Cassie.

Damn it.

If Dean were sad because of him… He suddenly sat up from his seat and turned around. Just…get it over with.

A hard body slammed into her with the force of a brick wall and Castiel was thrown back. His tentacled feet tangled with the tables and chairs, felt cold steel followed by a sudden shooting pain in a few of his tentacles. Unable to right himself because of his bandages, his head slammed onto the tiled ground, stars appearing in his clenched eyes.

Through blurry tear filled eyes he looked up at the man who inflicted his pain.

Dean Winchester. Fuck this all.

"Are you alright?"

Castiel could barely understand what Dean was saying to him. The stars in his eyes slowly dissipated, and he was left staring into the mesmerising candy green gaze of the handsome man who slammed into him . He moaned quietly in pain, wanting the dull ache to leave before he tried getting up.

"Novak?" Dean reached his hand out to him.

Castiel gazed at him, shocked. His blush slowly getting deeper and deeper, he instinctively reached up, his fingertips touching Dean's outstretched palm hesitantly.

Dean gripped at his slim fingers, pulling his body up. The sheer force of Dean's pull made Castiel's smaller body vault from the ground and crash into his well-toned chest, his frame engulfed Castiel completely. Taking in a deep breath Castiel could faintly smell a musky, spiced scent, a hint of cherries reached his sensitive nose.

Mate!

Castiel had never been this close to Dean before.

"I'm sorry, You alright?"

The words came at Castiel too quickly, but he didn't understand anything Dean said because at that moment their eyes met and Castiel was lost. What was happening to him?

His eyes widened as he looked up and felt his breath falter. He didn't know when it happened, but his heart suddenly skipped a beat. Dean's handsome face made his tentacles quiver beneath him. He was glad that Dean still hand his thick arms around Castiel's waist, holding him for support. Otherwise he would have definitely fallen again.

His dark blonde hair was beautifully disheveled as if he had run his hands through it all day and cared little for its appearance. His body felt lean and sleekly muscled above Castiel's.

Oh god...why did it have to be him?

"Novak?"

Dean's eyes were wide as they searched for any sign of Castiel's discomfort, but the octopus shifter couldn't catch his breath to reassure Dean that he was fine. Instead, his mind clouded and he let his eyes wander down to Dean's lips, which looked soft and inviting in comparison to his hard and chiseled jaw.

"You're not laughing,"

Dean paused, confused at Castiel's words. "Of course I'm not,"

Castiel's eyes widened and he pushed Dean away from his. His weight fell on his injured tentacles and he let out a yelp, buckling on his aching limbs. Dean reached for him again, holding his body up against his own. Castiel gave him one long lingering gaze.

"Let me take you to the nurse,"

No. Please. He could see a crowd forming around them. Watching intently, curious to what was going on.

"N-no." Castiel stuttered, wincing at the pain in his limbs. He fell back with a loud thud against the metal chairs. "I can go by…"

Dean grasped his hand, pulling Castiel up and forcing the octopus shifter to his side to lean on him. "Let me—"

"No!" Castiel pushed him away. Many of the students turned to see the commotion. He pulled his hood over his head and sunk to the ground, holding his tentacles to his chest, wishing he could curl up into a ball and hide in them.

No. Please. Don't look at me. Don't notice me. Don't laugh at me.

He felt himself be lifted up into the air. Opening his eyes, he saw that Dean had reached down to him and lifted him up from the ground. His head swam, but the heat from Dean's fingers on his back and tentacles made him swoon. He desperately wanted to wrap his tentacles around Dean and just hold him close, feel his warmth.

Damn, this would probably be the only time Dean Winchester would touch him and yet he was in so much pain that he couldn't enjoy it. He squirmed in Dean's grasp, almost falling. People were looking, and if they saw Dean Winchester with someone like him, they'd make fun of Dean and the wolf would surely hate Castiel for it.

No, he had to get away from him.

He tried to wriggle out of Dean's grasp, but the wolf's grip on him tightened. His eyes flashed red as he used his alpha voice. "Stop moving."

Castiel immediately stilled at his voice.

"Good boy." He murmured, making his way down the bustling hallway. People were watching them, some leering, some seething, some laughing. Castiel wanted to curl up in his tentacles and just wither away. But Dean was so warm, and he couldn't help but lean in closer to the wolf.

What had he done?


	4. Chapter 4

Oh, Dean's point of view.

Let's see what he thinks about his octopus...

* * *

Dean sucked in the heady, salty and _delicious_ scent of his mate.

Every day since he had moved to town with his family all those years back, ever since he had attended this school, ever since he had taken the seat in front of one Castiel Novak, he had revelled in the scent of his mate. His beautiful, meek, pale skinned and dark haired mate. With his beautiful ocean blue eyes that swam with all sorts of emotions.

Oh his scent was exquisite, Dean wished he could just bottle it up and carry it around with him all day. He did one better instead, now that he had his mate in his arms.

But Castiel was just so shy! He had tried, countless of times, to start up a conversation, to speak to him, to ask him out, but Castiel would just stutter cutely, or hide himself in his hood, or just outright run away. If it wasn't for the heady scent of arousal and want and _mate_ that exuded from him, Dean would have thought he wasn't interested.

He knew Castiel was a marine shifter, but he was never able to find out which one. He had heard so many things from his classmates, but they were just assholes that needed to be beaten up until they were bloody, everyone knew not to mess with Dean and his pack, _especially_ his mate. Whatever Castiel was.

He knew Gabriel, Castiel's older brother, was a merman – he scoffed every time and always called the short blonde the 'Little Mermaid' whenever he was at their house for Sam to tutor him. And he knew Michael and Lucifer, the eldest twins, were some kind of electric fish, or something, he really didn't care about them, or never saw them either. They were both in college.

But Castiel had always been an anomaly for him, he had no discernible features that Dean could see. No gills, no fins, no webbed fingers. He always had a distinct scent of salt and ink on him though, but that could be all those notes he took. And he _always_ smelled of arousal every time Dean caught him staring.

But right now, Castiel was frightened and ashamed, for what, Dean didn't know. He was just so damn happy to have his mate in his arms, he wanted to wrap the marine-shifter in his own scent, wanted to bite on his pale throat and mark him up nice and pretty like.

 _No,_ that was his wolf talking. Castiel was a shy little thing, he wasn't ready to really know what Dean wanted to do to him.

A light sheen of sweat took over him as he untangled his thoughts from his instincts. It was so god damn hard to do so, his wolf was growling at him that his mate was scared. He needed to take his mate and run. Take him away where he was safe, where he would be protected.

But, he sucked in his mate's scent, the scent so much stronger now that Castiel was finally, _finally_ in his arms. He couldn't hear anything else but the heavy thud-thud-thud of Castiel's heartbeat, of his harsh breathing and his cute little mewls as he hid his face into Dean's chest. His dark eyes roved over the schools hallway, the floor was completely empty. Training his ears, he heard teachers talking, pencils scraping against papers and clocks ticking, students murmuring. But no one was coming to them.

They could be alone.

His boots thudded against the wooden floors as he walked over to the large staircase and to end of the hall leading to the entrance of the school's infirmary. His long fingers wrapped protectively around Castiel's body and the bend of his legs. They were quivering oddly.

Weird. Was Castiel also a merman?

Pushing the door to the infirmary open, he noticed that there was no doctor or nurse inside. Not that that was a surprise. Nurse Donna was probably taking her break now. She always did around this time of day.

The moist sunlight glimmered against the empty beds and stark white curtains. Dean closed the door behind him and placed Castiel onto the bed. Castiel grimaced, grasping the edges of the bed, eyes darting this way and that, but not stopping long on Dean's face. He was so adorable.

Dean was there, stalking, hunting, waiting. Waiting for his mate. Castiel was still frightened, but the scent of arousal hung heavy in the air.

 _His life mate._

His beautiful eyes were closed, his dark hair contrasting gracefully against his pale skin, flowing ephemerally against the sunshine. Oh, how easy it would be to just lean down and bite against his skin, leave a bruising mark on that pretty neck, let the whole world know that this man was his.

A fallen angel, that's what he was.

He listened to Castiel's heartbeat, already attuned to its lull, enthralled by each mesmerising note as he sat there. Alone. He was here, he was _right here_ and yet Dean still had to wait. He always watched from the side lines, just like now, watching and waiting, knowing that Castiel felt the same for him.

Maybe he was afraid of what Dean was? Maybe he was a marine-shifter who was afraid of wolves? Oh god. Fuck, if that was the case... Dean's ears' pressed down low on his head and his tail stilled from its happy swinging - if that was the case, then Dean didn't know what he was going to do.

God, Cas was such a beauty, someone who must be kept untainted, kept untouched by the world and all of its subtle and incontrovertible evils. Dean wanted to lock him away, keep him safe from all those prying jibes and crows. All of those people who didn't understand the wonder that was Castiel Novak.

He had beaten the complete fuck out of Alastair, and Crowley, knowing that those two douche wads were the ones who had made him cry. They would never even dare getting near his mate, _never_. And ever since word had spread, no one ever went near Castiel again, not without answering to Dean and his pack.

Castiel's eyes opened and he stared up, his eyes… _oh god, those eyes_. They watched him with clear asphyxiated interest. They were so beautiful.

How he wanted to…how easy it would be to just…

"D-Dean?" He asked, quietly, calmly, but his body was quivering, squirming under the scrutiny. His legs looked bulbous, more so than usual, and Dean was curious as to see just what was under those jeans. God, he needed to stop. Castiel was pure, he was innocent. He didn't need to be corrupted by a wolf in heat.

He heard Castiel's whisper of a wince as he moved his legs further in, curling up into a ball on the bed. Dean reached for him, wanting to help him, but Castiel curled in more.

"Cas, you alright?" Dean put his hand on Castiel's knee, hoping to coax the man. He had to have been hurt somewhere, Dean couldn't smell any blood, but he could still be bruised or hurt somewhere. He had seen Castiel's leg hit the table, and his head hit the floor.

Thinking it best to look at his head for any injury, Dean leaned in and held his hands up to Castiel's head, running his fingers through those _so soft_ tendrils of dark hair. Castiel's scent spiked suddenly, and he yelped, jumping back. The bottom half of his jeans were suddenly drenched in a sticky black substance, soaking Dean's hand.

Was that…oil? He lifted his hand up, sniffing at the thick black liquid. _Oh...wow…_ he didn't think Castiel could smell any better, but this scent was so much more _delicious._

Castiel's eyes widened and he lifted the bed sheets from the foot of the bed and covered himself up with it, hiding under the white sheets in hopes that Dean would just forget and leave.

"I'm sorry." Castiel murmured from under the sheets, his heart was thudding fast, and his breathing was so rough. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,"

He…inked. Sure it was rather odd, unexpected. But he could grow used to it. Dean gazed up at the bulge on the bed, pondering at every marine based animal that he knew that could produce ink.

 _Oh_ …he was an octopus.

Dean's mate was an _octopus-shifter!_

 _Shit, shit, shit._

He had just inked in front of Dean. Oh god, what an idiot he was, now Dean was just going to laugh and make fun of him, call him all sorts of names and tell everyone that he had just _inked_ because Dean had run his fingers through his hair.

Castiel wanted the ground to swallow him up whole. He wanted to disappear, he wanted Dean to forget everything he had just seen.

Fuck…

He held back tears, embarrassed at his stupid instincts, inking because your mate was near. He sucked in heavy breaths under the stained covers. He wanted to take off these stupid jeans, wishing he had another pair to change into, just so he could leave the school and never come back again.

He could do the rest of the year at home, he could be home schooled. Sure it'd be tough at first, but he'd get through it.

The covers shifted, and suddenly Dean's blonde head popped in from the side. His eyes were a bright green, filled with curiosity and wonder and he was smiling proudly.

"Octopus-shifter," He said simply, and Castiel nodded. "Cool. Can I…" he motioned for Castiel's ruined jeans.

"I…" Castiel didn't know what to do, should he show Dean the very things that he despised, the very things that made him different, that made him a freak?

Why did Dean want to see? Did he want to take a picture and make fun of him to everyone else?

No, Dean wasn't like that. He was a nice wolf, he was a very pretty wolf. Everything about him exuded calm, safety, protection, he was _wonderful_.

"I gotta see if you're hurt," He said simply. "You fell,"

Castiel stared down at his legs, his tentacles that were bloated and tied together with bandages, that were aching and pulsing, that wanted to wrap desperately around Dean and pull him close.

But before Castiel could even say anything, Dean had reached for his shoes and was untying them. He slowly pulled them and his socks off to see four tentacle ends splaying out from his leg hole of his jeans. Eight tentacles in total.

Castiel held his head in his hands, ashamed. He was so embarrassed, but it felt nice to have them out of those god awful shoes. Oh god, Dean Winchester saw his tentacles. And he was pulling up his pant leg to see more.

"You tie 'em up?" He asked, running his fingers over the white bandages wrapped around the midnight purple coloured appendages. "That can't be good for 'em,"

Castiel shook his head. "I'm not…normal."

He heard Dean growling long and low in his throat, his eyes flashed alpha red before returning to their normal candy green.

"You don't have to hide," He said, pulling the covers over until he was sitting with Castiel under the sheets. He reached for Castiel's tentacles and tentatively touched them, seeing just how far he could go before Castiel stopped him.

Castiel _really_ didn't want to stop him. Those fingers were amazing on his aching tentacles. Those warm hands were light lightening as they ran up and down the tips, massaging the ends. He reached up a little higher and Castiel couldn't help but let one of his tentacles wrap around his wrist. His suckers kissing lightly on his skin, touching him, tasting him.

 _Oh…_

Oh god, what was he doing?

He yanked his tentacles from Dean's hands, throwing the covers over his body, he stretched a tentacle out to reach for his discarded shoes and socks, and quickly put them on. Taking one last look back, he quickly made his way out of the infirmary, he could never show his face to Dean again.

Dean untangled himself from the covers and turned to the octopus, but before he had a chance to reach for his mate, Castiel was out of the door and down the hallway.

Dean growled throwing the rest of the covers onto the bed. Damn it, he thought they were having fun, learning about one another and finally getting close to his mate. He thought he was helping. But Cas was still so shy around him.

"I'm not through with you yet, little octopus."


	5. Chapter 5

Dean didn't feel like eating. Not really. But he knew his pack mates would be worried if he didn't at least attempt to try and eat something.

He held the tray of food in his hands and made his way to the table he and his pack mates always sat around. He could already spot Kevin Tran, the only rabbit shifter in his pack, and Benny the bear shifter, sitting in their usual places. Even though all of his pack mates in university were predators, Kevin had never shown he was afraid when he was with them. Not that they ever made him feel unsafe. He was pack. He was a bunny with a wolf, fox and bear backing him.

Dean was so proud of the kid.

He put his tray on the table, next to the pretty redheaded fox shifter, Charlie. She immediately jumped and turned to him, pulling her headphones off her head. She eyed him as he sat down, leaning forward to scent him as the alpha of their pack, he let her, and the other two, do the same.

"Did you get hurt?" She asked, pointing to Dean's arm, his wrist.

"What?" Dean looked down to where she was pointing. There was a circular mark on his skin, a mark that Castiel had left on him when his tentacle had wrapped around his hand. Dean was definitely sure that that was like an octopus version of a kiss on the cheek or something, because Dean had felt lightning course through his body at that touch. Castiel's scent had spiked deliciously.

"My mate marked me," Dean said proudly, rolling his sleeves up to show off the bruise.

Benny leaned forward and eyed the circular bruise. "Well damn, already movin' so fast?"

Charlie nodded, nudging Kevin, who was intently reading a book and taking a carrot stick from the box filled with them. That bunny shifter really liked his carrots.

"Did you mark her back?" she asked, sneakily taking a carrot stick while the bunny wasn't looking. She popped it in her mouth with a loud crunch. "Should we be planning a wedding or something?"

Dean shook his head, his ears falling. He prodded his fork into his food, moving it this way and that as he explained. "I didn't get the chance, he ran before I could even ask him."

When the three looked at him, curious and confused, Dean sought to continue telling them what had happened.

"He got hurt, so I wanted to see if he was okay." He said slowly, his memories returning to the blissful look on his mate's face, when Dean had massaged his tentacles. He knew they'd have to have hurt him, being tied up all the time. Dean was ready to do that and so much more if only Castiel would let him. "Everything was going great. He even wrapped a tentacle around my hand and everything." He ran his fingers over the purpling sucker mark on his wrist, wearing it proudly, because his _mate had marked him._ "But the he ran. Did I do something wrong?"

"Well. You can be a bit intimidating." Kevin murmured, turning the page of his book and continuing reading.

Charlie placed her drink down. "Tentacle? Castiel has tentacles?"

"Isn't that amazing?" Dean said enthusiastically. His mate was the only octopus shifter after like, hundreds of years! Dean's tail thumped against the seats behind him as he spoke. "They're gorgeous too. And…I mean. He inked. And his scent is like...fucking perfect. That's gotta mean something."

Kevin slapped Charlie's hand when she came back for another carrot stick. "Usually octopuses ink when they are frightened."

Dean's tail stilled, his face falling. "What?"

Charlie slapped Kevin on the back of his head. Kevin glared at her, his ears twitching, but he continued. "When octopuses are scared, they let off a foul smell in to deter their attacker."

"I wasn't attacking him." Dean growled. But his ears drooped to his hair. What if he had actually scared his mate? Castiel wouldn't come near him anymore. Had he already failed before he even started? "Do you think he's scared of me?"

His heart beat quickened and he felt his mind swirl with the idea of never having Castiel by his side, his _mate_. You only ever got one mate, one being that was perfect for you, that made you whole. And yet...had he really fucked it all up?

"What if he _is_ afraid of me?" He said quietly to himself. He had acted rather brash, all gung-ho and that, but that was just how he was. When he wanted something, he damn well went for it. And every fibre of his being wanted Cas with him, next to him, under him, he wanted to taste Cas's scent on his tongue, he wanted to leave marks all over his pretty skin, and those beautiful tentacles.

And Cas was his, god damn it. Everyone who scented either of them knew that. They knew to steer clear from them both, because Dean was going to make sure they were going to be together. There was no need to date anyone else. To Dean, no one else smelled better than his little octopus.

And he was _damn sure_ Castiel felt the same. He always smelled like spice and sweetness, like salted caramel and cinnamon, like the ocean and ink. Dean wanted desperately for them to pass this awkward stage and get to the point where he could lean his nose into that pale neck and just breathe him in.

If only Castiel wasn't so shy.

Charlie took hold of the crook of his arm, bringing him back to the present.

"Nah, I don't think so, you said he smelled good," She said confidently, giving him reassurance through their pack bond. She smelled confident in what she was saying. "So I don't think he was scared. Maybe it's like pheromones or something?"

"The boy does smell like honey when he's around you," Benny stated, his southern voice calming Dean.

"There haven't been many octopus shifters," Kevin piped up, sliding his bookmark on the page and closing his book. "You should ask a marine shifter, maybe they can answer your questions."

"You're right," Dean said, his mood swinging to happy once again. He'd find out what Castiel meant by inking on him, he didn't smell afraid, so it had to be something else.

But was it a _good_ something else?

He knew just the person to ask, Castiel's older brother, Gabriel.

Finding Gabriel was easy.

The mermaid was always circling like a shark around Dean's younger brother. They were also mates, and wasn't that a kicker, two mates in the same families, him and Castiel, and Sam and Gabriel.

But Gabriel had been adamant to wait until Sam was old enough before they even did anything, and the younger wolf never smelled of anything but fish and books. So Dean knew Gabriel was keeping his word. After all, he didn't want to lose his only mate.

Finding a mate was one thing, but finding one and then losing one? It was like cutting off a limb. The pain was immeasurable. You could always feel them around, always knew they were close, but it was awful. Knowing they were there yet knowing you'd never have them.

So he was happy that Sam had found his other half at such a young age.

Sam smelled more like that fish than he did anything else. And at first it made Dean gag, but now, it had been so many years that they had been together, little Sammy helping the oaf of a trickster mermaid, that it was weird when they _didn't_ smell like each other.

They'd be married when Sam was old enough, he was sure of that. Gabriel had already asked him for Sam's hand. They had already jumped those hurdles and come out both happy in the end.

Gabriel was on the sofa, his feet up and on the cushions, a writing pad on his lap and a lollipop in his mouth as he scribbled something on the paper. Sam was sitting on the ground in front of him, typing away at something on his laptop.

They looked strangely domestic, and that warmed Dean's heart. "Gabriel, we gotta talk,"

Gabriel rolled his eyes up at the alpha wolf, and popped his lollipop from his mouth. "If this is the sex talk, don't bother."

Sam stilled, his eyes widening and his scent spiking with something Dean _never_ wanted to smell on his brother, ever. He grimaced at the thought of ...oh god, _ew!_

"Fuck off," He growled. "Just…take a break or something."

Gabriel nodded dutifully, Dean was still the alpha of the house, and Gabriel needed to appease the oaf if he had any shot of a long hand happy life with his mate. He placed his notepad on the arm of the sofa and got up, ruffling his webbed fingers through Sam's long hair.

"Be right back, Sammich," He said quietly, leaning in and just scenting the wolf. Sam leaned up, allowing him better access. Dean cleared his throat, and Gabriel rolled his eyes. He followed Dean to the empty kitchen, and sat on the bar stools.

"Alright, shoot," He said calmly, rolling his lollipop in his mouth.

Dean stood by the sink, looking down into the dark drain as he tried to make sense of what he wanted to say. How could he just tell Gabriel that Castiel was his mate and he'd known for ages, but now that he finally had the chance to _speak_ to the octopus, Dean had probably scared him off?

He remembered how he had been when he found out that Sam and Gabriel were mates, he was so against his baby brother dating someone like Gabriel, someone who was years older. Sure Gabriel had gotten into his good graces, but it still irked him sometimes.

"Was it Cas?" Gabriel asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Dean if you did anything to my _baby brother_ —"

"He's my mate," Dean announced, but he could sense that Gabriel already knew that. There was something about the mermaid shifters, maybe they were intuitive or maybe they were psychic, but they seemed to hit the nail on the head, every time.

Gabriel settled back on the stool, the epitome of calm. "Alright, so what's the problem?"

"He…inked on me." Dean muttered slowly.

There was a long and annoyingly screeching silence from Gabriel, one that made Dean want to get away from everything and just crawl into his den with his tail between his legs and lick his mental wounds.

He knew it. Fuck, he was so certain everything was going to be okay, but Castiel inking on him was not a good thing at all. He looked up at the mermaid, seeing Gabriel's golden eyes bore into his.

Then Gabriel did something that Dean had not expected.

He laughed.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was setting in the distance, coating the world in its buttery reds and yellows as Dean ventured on his journey for takeout dinner. The streets never did have any streetlamps. At least the relentless spring rain had given way to drier days and pleasant nights. Honestly, he just wanted to leave as quickly as he could.

After Gabriel had finally stopped laughing, Dean was suddenly catapulted into the biological world of a marine shifter and the birds and the bees. Or in this case…the tentacles and the eggs… Apparently, when Castiel inked, and the smell was sweet, it was his way of showing Dean he was interested. They were mates, so the scent was a lot stronger.

Gabriel didn't stop his explanations, telling Dean all about the first time Castiel had ever inked. He had seen Dean enter the classroom, introducing himself, and had felt his face flush and his body tingle at the scent and he'd just inked. It was his instinctual way to show Dean he was ready and veryinterested. But poor Castiel hadn't understood what was going on, and had freak out.

Dean was flattered, and his alpha ego grew ten sizes at that. He desperately wanted to see Castiel, to tell the little octopus that he felt the same way. Quickening his steps, he made his way to the take out place he had picked for himself.

He was only a few miles away when he was attacked. Dean had heard familiar gentle footsteps against the tarmac before he felt large arms wrap around his shoulders and pull him back.

Dean fought back, but with none of his strength. He knew exactly who his attacker was and he didn't want to hurt the smaller man. A hood was tossed over his head obscuring his vision. The scent of the salty sea and surprisingly, honey, permeated his senses, further proving who his attacker was. He held back a moan at the scent, goodness was it addictive.

He had to admit, his little attacker was wily for a small, barely there, slip of a man.

But why kidnap him?

Dean felt something slap against the back of his head, drawing stars in his eyes. The thudding ache spread through his head, slowly dissipating. The hit was just as soft as the rest of this attack, but the effects of it had pretty much gone now. Dean held back a chuckle, his pretty attacker was trying so hard.

But what was he doing?

"Cas?" The hands around him stilled, as they always did when Dean spoke to him.

He slipped a hand away from Castiel's stilled grasp and pulled the hood from his head. Yup, just as he had deduced, it was his mate. Castiel was holding a thin, tangled web of rope, his hands shaking but hovering over Dean's palm as he tried, and failed, to wrap it around Dean's wrists.

"Cas, stop." Castiel froze immediately. Dean quirked his eyebrow, he hadn't even been using his alpha voice. "Are you trying to kidnap me?"

Dean smiled when Castiel nodded, gazing at his feet. He was so adorable when he was nervous. His luscious full lips were in that adorable pout and his pretty pale skin glistened under the setting sun. Dean wanted desperately to hold his mate in his arms and kiss him until they both saw stars.

But he was so shy! Dean didn't want to scare him away. Castiel really didn't understand the power he had over him.

Castiel hands continued to shake when he tried, and tried again, to wrap the thin rope around Dean's wrists. Curious to know where he was going to go with this, Dean held his wrists together in an aid to help his mate. He was beginning to like this new independent and brave Castiel.

What was he thinking about doing to him?

"Why won't you work?" He stuttered with a pout as the rope tangled around his fingers.

Dean placed his hand over Castiel's, smiling when the octopus turned a deep shade of red and looked up at him through those long, dark lashes. His beautiful blue eyes were swimming with unshed tears of frustration. The setting sunlight kissed his pale skin, illuminating his pretty face and shining lips, begging to be kissed.

God…Cas really didn't get just how much he loved him. He'd do anything he could to get the octopus to understand.

Had Castiel finally read his letter? Is that why he was doing this? That had to be it, Castiel was probably testing him. See if Dean was serious about him. Serious about what he wrote.

Was this some kind of courting ritual among marine shifters? If so, he was going to ace the fuck out of it.

"Wouldn't holding hands be easier?" He asked, leaning down closer to Castiel, so close the octopus shivered. Dean could feel his warm breath on his skin.

"H-huh?" Castiel tried to form a sentence, but it was completely futile. Dean's closeness made his heart thump madly in his chest.

Dean picked at the rope and unravelled it from around Castiel's fingers. "Isn't holding hands better than dragging me around by a rope?"

He wrapped his hand around Castiel's, his wolf bounding around inside him, wanting to be let out and bask in his mates touch. The octopus let out a high pitched moan, one that made Dean pause. Oh. That was definitely a voice he wanted to hear again.

"Would you tell me where we need to go?" He asked, his voice low.

Castiel moaned again in that high pitched sound that made Dean shudder. Castiel shook his head, his hand barely touching Dean's as he pulled the wolf along to their destination.

That would not do.

"Maybe you should grip my hand tighter," He offered, holding their joined hands out in front of them. "You don't want me running away, do you?"

Castiel swallowed against his fear and tried to meet Dean's gaze. He was starting to reconsider this rash plan before he'd taken the first step, but now he knew it had been a mistake.

Why had he listened to Gabriel? That stupid mermaid of an older brother must have used his psychic powers to make him do this, that had to be it. How was he going to do all of those things he wanted to do to Dean if he couldn't even take the first step? Oh god.

He sucked in a brave breath and tightened his grip on his mate, holding his arm close to his side. Dean dutifully followed, his eyes shining with mirth.

They stared.

Castiel noticed that his immediate inclination was to smile sheepishly. He felt silly just staring at him without moving his face, but everything short-circuited whenever he was around Dean. He wanted to wordlessly communicate with his mate, tell him everything that his stupid mouth would not allow him to say.

Dean smiled, and Castiel let his breath out slowly. He let his facial muscles go lax as he continued to gaze upon his octopus mate. It was painful to look at this gorgeous man for so long, but his gaze was zoned in on Castiel's direction.

They barely blinked, standing in the middle of the street, holding hands as the sun dropped slowly into the horizon.

Castiel was becoming increasingly aware of two things. One, Dean's steel like stare was more intense than he ever imagined it could be, and Castiel was forced to return it with no hope of relief, not that he'd minded all that much. Being able to gaze into those beautiful candy green eyes had been his dream ever since Dean had chosen to sit in front of him

Two, he was undeniably sexy, and irrevocably his. There was no doubt, their scents mingled, their breathing in sync, their heart beats thudding in unison. Castiel didn't let his eyes waver, wanting to register and catalogue his face. He absorbed every single detail, how smooth his skin was, the sun kissed freckles dusted over them, how the sunlight tripped over the dimples on his chin, how his strong jaw complimented the sensual curve of his mouth, his graceful and straight nose, the arch of his eyebrows and those eyes that bore relentlessly into his, flashing a hue of alpha red as he did so.

Oh god…he was so beautiful. Castiel found he couldn't look away, he didn't want to look away.

And then he moved closer, leaning in, growling hotly against his ear. "Where to?"

Castiel wanted to write his entire body at his mates glorious scent, and wrap his tentacles tightly and securely around Dean's body, holding him close and just breathe him in. He wanted to smell like him, to be warmed by him, to have him.

He whimpered and bit his lip, arching his back, wanting to get closer.

Dean reached up, dragging his fingers over Castiel's goose bump covered arm, giving him a come-hither appraisal through his long, blonde lashes. And Castiel found he couldn't summon a single syllable.

"Take me home, Cas," He murmured, so low that it made Castiel shiver.

Oh god, how was he going to do this?


	7. Chapter 7

The comfortable silence between Castiel and Dean was almost tangible as they walked, hand in hand, along the darkening streets back to Castiel's home. Castiel still couldn't believe he had actually done something like this. What was he expecting to do when he finally got Dean to his home, in his bed?

They were mates, Castiel could feel that heavy tug, that pull that brought him to Dean, brought him home. But would Dean freak out? He may have touched his tentacles before, but after seeing them, seeing him in all his glory. Would Dean be disgusted? Would he run?

No one had ever seen an octopus shifter for decades, Castiel wasn't even sure he was...normal looking. He had nothing but those lazy written books about rare marine shifters. The ones that barely said anything about octopuses. And those old nature documentaries didn't help either. They all focused on mermaids and other fishes. Not even Castiel's parents were able to help him. And his brothers were unhelpful. Sure Gabriel tried, but he didn't have tentacles. None of them did . They were all pretty, and slim, and beautiful, with amazing colours that rivaled rainbows, and thick tails, pretty webbed fingers, and those gills.

Oh, if only Castiel was something normal.

But no, he had eight annoying, bulbous - why was the air still so moist and muggy that his tentacles were expanding - and just overall displeasing tentacles. The suckers were huge and pinking, and Castiel wanted nothing more than to be rid of his clothing and just bask in the moist air.

It did not help him one bit that his mate was with him. He was finding it difficult not to just throw Dean down onto any available flat surface and just present himself.

Damn it. What was wrong with him?

He knew, it was all Gabriel's and Dean's pack mates fault. They had left the idea of getting more physical and taking what he wanted from Dean. He had just wanted to talk to the wolf. To sort out his feelings, and hopefully get over his mate.

His thoughts ran to earlier that day.

His back ached as he was thrown against the brick wall. He fell with a thump onto the concrete, his tied tentacles protecting him from any pain. He looked up to see the bearded bastard who had thrown him here.

"What do you want Crowley?" He asked, gasping at the pain. He stood up, not wanting to show the hound-shifter his weakness.

"You're a menace," He said in his British accent, speaking through his thick-shifted teeth. "I'm only getting rid of the weak."

Castiel huddled in the corner as Crowley came closer. He was just too tired of everything that had been happening to him that week alone. The constant jibes, the hate. The fact that his mate was in love with another person . And what had he done to cope with that? He had inked in front of Dean, showing his intent.

His life was spiralling, everything was going wrong. He was abnormal, he was a freak, how could he even think...

A large body slammed into Crowley, sending the hound barreling to the side. In Crowley's place stood an angry bear-shifter, his arms wide and his teeth sharp as he roared to the hound. "Stay away from him,"

Castiel stood up suddenly, his back scaling the wall. His tentacles quivered, wanting to wrap around him, to keep him safe from the new attack. A hound was one thing, but a bear? Castiel didn't want to know how hard those hands could throw him around. But the bear turned, and smiled. And suddenly he didn't seem as scary as he did before. Quickly, a red headed fox shifter and an Asian rabbit-shifter rushed over to his side, helping him.

"Castiel, are you alright?" the redhead asked. How did this pretty fox know his name?

Castiel looked up to see a crowd forming, ready and waiting for the fight that was most definitely going to go down. They had their phones and camera's up, taking pictures and videos of the bear versus the hound. Regardless of Crowley being a hound, he was popular, he had an entire army of drones behind him, answering to his whim and following his kingship. The fact that this bear shifter even tried to fight him was monumentally worth staying late in school for.

Crowley suddenly got up, brushing off his suit, he growled low as he stood in front of the bear. But the bear was ready, when the hound attacked, the bear spun around, using his attack, and slammed him against the brick wall.

"Now listen here, mutt." He growled low in his throat, pushing Crowley back onto the brick. "This here, is Dean Winchester's mate, and that makes him part of the Winchester pack,"

Castiel could see the effect this was having on the hound. The Winchester pack was something entirely different, something based on care, love, loyalty and friendship. Not on fear and force. Dean Winchester was the alpha of the pack, and the loyalty that he had from his pack mates was something every single shifter wanted.

Everyone wanted a family. And the fact that Dean Winchester did not only take wolf-cubs and canines, but all walks of life was life-altering. Everyone wanted to be a part of his pack, and Dean would have welcomed every single one of them, Castiel knew this.

"You've gone and threatened a vital person in the Winchester pack, the alpha's mate," The bear continued. Crowley was grasping at his large hand, trying to suck in air. His eyes were wide and frantic. "Now, you know what that means,"

Castiel pushed the fox from him, and leaned forward to the bear.

"Do not hurt him, please," The bear stopped, turning his gaze to the octopus. "He is not worth your expulsion,"

The bear's scent stung Castiel, overwhelming him with the scent of forest and honey. He was...happy? No, he was content and proud. But why? Castiel wasn't sure.

"Stay away from Castiel," The bear said, slamming Crowley onto the wall before letting him go. Crowley scrabbled to his feet and growled low before running away.

The bear watched him leave, before turning to Castiel. His scary face turned light, and he looked more like a teddy bear than a grizzly. "That mutt didn't hurt you, did he?"

Castiel nodded, scenting no threat from the bear shifter, not anymore. "I'm fine."

"That bastard Crowley won't be bothering you again." The rabbit shifter said, giving Castiel a once over. He leaned in and scented at Castiel's arm. Castiel wanted to lean back, to huddle in his tentacles, but he had seen these three do this with Dean constantly, so he wasn't afraid.

They were scenting him.

Once the rabbit shifter leaned back, Castiel turned to the bear. "Thank you. But...why?"

"You're pack." The redhead said, smiling brightly. "And we stick together."

He was pack?

"You hungry?" The pretty fox asked, she didn't let Castiel answer, and took his arm, dragging him along to the entrance of the school. Castiel wasn't sure what was happening, but anything was better than staying in school, with Crowley and his minions. The other two followed the redhead and they walked down the street, opposite to the way Castiel usually went. They were going into town.

"Oh," the fox stopped, making the other three stop as well. She turned to Castiel and held her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Charlie Bradbury," she introduced, before pointing to the bear and the rabbit. "And this is Benny Lafitte and Kevin Tran."

Castiel hesitantly took her hand, shaking it. "Castiel Novak."

Soon, and Castiel really didn't understand how, he was sitting in a diner booth, sipping on a milkshake. Dean's pack were surrounding him, scenting him and keep him calm and safe. And Castiel did indeed feel calm and safe. Charlie was sitting next to him smelling like a parchment and metal, and Benny and Kevin were sitting opposite him throwing off waves and waves of care and comfort.

Charlie snacked on the basket of fries in the middle of the table. She turned to Castiel, her eyes narrowing. Castiel suddenly felt a little frightened under that gaze. He didn't know what to expect.

"So how do you plan to get Dean?" she said.

Castiel choked on the milkshake. "What...what do you mean?"

Benny leaned in, scenting Castiel a little, and smirking. "Like honey, even when we say his name, eh?"

Castiel was confused. This was weird, right? Was this what friends, what pack mates did? He didn't know, and he was boxed in with nowhere to go now. He darted his gaze to the large bay window he was pressed up against.

"Don't be frightened little octopus," Benny's voice was soothing as he spoke. "You're out alpha's mate, we won't harm you."

"We're just curious." Charlie piped in.

Castiel sucked a breath. He didn't feel like he was in any danger, and these three shifters really did seem nice. Charlie was bubbly and happy, her smile was like sunshine. And Benny was a gentle force, making Castiel feel warm. Kevin seemed distant, but Castiel could see his bunny ears perking up and listening to everything.

But Castiel was confused. Dean was in love with Cassie Robinson. Did they get the wrong Cas? No, that wasn't possible. Cassie was popular, everyone knew her. And he was...well, he was an octopus shifter who sat in the back of the class and hid himself away from the world.

"Why don't you just kidnap him," Kevin said suddenly, not really paying attention to the three. They all turned to him, wide eyed. "You've both shown your intentions, so get together and talk about it."

And...well, that didn't seem like a bad idea.

If he were able to just tell Dean his feelings, maybe they could work everything out. And when Dean told him he wasn't interested, maybe that would be the stepping stone for Castiel to get over his mate.

His mate!

Oh...that thought ached in his chest. But he knew it would happen, he knew Dean would say no to him, he would be rejected by his mate. It was better to get it done now, take off the bandaid in one fell swoop. There was no need to wait anymore.

The rabbit was right. And that was how Castiel found himself following the wolf down the long street, taking in that glorious scent that came off him. He just wanted to talk to Dean, just to tell him how he felt and get everything over and done with. He would spend the weekend wallowing in his tentacles, heartbroken and disheartened when Dean rejected him. But come Monday, he'd be a little better, he'd face the day head on. And hopefully, one day, in the distance, he'd finally get over the wolf that would never be his.

But...he pulled his hood off from his head and drew the drawstrings from it, holding the rope in his hands. It was like his body was moving of its own accord, not listening to reason. His tentacles slid quietly along the ground, his shoes barely making a sound. He got closer to the unsuspecting wolf, threw the hood over his head, and swung his bag from over his shoulder and into Dean's head.

But he hadn't expected this...

He hadn't expected Dean's beautiful smile, the sun shining in his eyes and his alpha stance. Everything about this man was inviting, from his face to his scent. And Castiel couldn't help but listen, to follow and to want to be with him. His tentacles quivered as they turned into his street

Dean was coming to his home.


	8. Chapter 8

Gabriel's phone chimed on the table, a bubblegum lollipop sound that startled the wolf. Sam reached for it and gave it back to the merman shifter. Gabriel took it and swiped to the message. He saw Castiel's name – with the octopus emoji, for kicks.

He read through it and paused. "Huh."

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, placing his laptop on the table and turning from his spot on the floor.

Gabriel held his phone up for Sam to see the text. "I just got a text from Cas."

"He doesn't want you home tonight?" Sam replied, reading through the text. His phone vibrated in his pocket, he pulled it out and saw a similar message on his phone from his alpha older brother. "Oh. I got the same thing from Dean." He paused, gazing up at his merman mate. "You don't think they're?"

"Yup, I do," Gabriel said, his smirk wide and his eyes twinkling golden. "Fucking finally. They are mates after all."

Sam's eyes widened. He knew Dean had a mate in his school, but he had never thought it would have been Castiel. But Sam really didn't know a lot about the dark haired brother of his mate, other than what Gabriel had told him. Gabriel was so proud of his brother, and so protective. Sam knew Castiel was a great man. A little weird, but great nonetheless.

It made sense. Whenever Gabriel spoke of Castiel, Sam got the idea that the marine-shifter was very personal and timid. How he was mated to someone like Dean was completely beyond Sam. But, he thought to himself, the same could be said about him and his mate.

He was the timid one, the nerdy one, while Gabriel was the loud and abrasive one. He'd never change his love for his life. He loved his mate, Gabriel was so enthusiastic, so wondrous, that Sam could just watch him forever - and he had plans to.

At least Dean had found someone good for him.

He turned to Gabriel, sucking on his bottom lip. He could taste the heated, salty yet sweet scent of his mate in the air. He really wanted Gabriel to stay. Sure they spent all their time together, it was really hard for them to be apart, especially since they knew they were mates. But Gabriel was always so prim and proper about this, which was surprising because the blonde merman loved to play pranks and trick people. He was loud and colourful and everything Sam was not. But when it come to them being together, being lovers, being mates. Gabriel could be a bit of a prude.

It had been years since they had first met, years that they dated and spent time getting to know one another. Because they may have been mates, but they were complete polar opposites in personality. But the more Sam got to know Gabriel, the more he fell in love with the merman.

They hadn't even kissed properly, and Sam was due for a nice, long make out session. His wolf howled at the thought.

"So…" He started, gazing up at his mate. "Do you wanna just stay here?"

Gabriel couldn't take his eyes off Sam, he was batting his long lashes, his complicated hazel-green eyes wide and wondering, trusting and full of heat. It took every part of Gabriel's strength not to just take the wolf and slam him down on a flat surface and just grind into him, to bathe in his scent and just drink from those pretty lips of his, until they were both sore and spent.

It'd be so easy to…

No. He had promised the alpha asshole of a big brother that they wouldn't do anything like that until Sam was of age.

Which was…just a few weeks away. One whole month. He could survive a month. Four little weeks, thirty short days, seven hundred and thirty minute minutes, forty three thousand, eight hundre-okay, so he was a little impatient. But, he was stronger than that, he had perserver—oh hell, Sam was biting his lip, nibbling on the flesh and looking all sorts of adorable. He was batting his eyelashes at him, face slightly turned down and his neck stretched to the side, he was being submissive.

Fuck…fuck, fuck, fuck!

This pretty wolf was Gabriel's every single kink all rolled into one hot shifter. Oh, it'd be so easy just to lean up and bite down on that pretty neck, get his fangs in there and just suck in the salt of his skin, leave a bruise and a mate mark, and let everyone know that this wolf was taken.

No.

Gabriel needed to focus. Because this was his mate and he was not going to mess this up, no way no how. He had the ring ready and a month to wait until he could propose. He had waited since they had first met. Ever since he had seen those beautiful eyes in the hospital where they had met, ever since he had scented the sweet musk of his mate. He knew he was going to marry the tall moose of a wolf, they were going to have gorgeous little babies and live in a house by the sea.

But, he wouldn't get any of that if he fucked it all up now.

Patience. He needed to have patience.

And maybe just kiss him…a few times…and bite him...just a little...

"I ain't staying if I have to study." Gabriel replied instead, smirking wide, he knew his fangs were sharp, but that seemed to egg Sam on instead of frighten him.

Sam was caught off guard, he hadn't expected Gabriel to say yes. The merman usually left when it got dark. But, he wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. But jumping on the merman and slobbering all over him like a dog was not the best of ideas.

He needed to be suave. Seductive.

"We can always watch a movie?"

Real smooth Sam.

He turned from the television which was showing some cheesy movie about mates trying to find one another, to his mate. Gabriel was fixated, his legs pressed together like they usually were, his hands in the bowl of sticky popcorn they had placed between then, taking large handfuls and scarfing them down.

Sam had wanted Gabriel to snuggle up to him, or him to Gabriel. He just wanted them wrapped around one another, sharing their scents and warmth. But no, that stupid bowl of popcorn was in the way. He wanted to throw that bowl onto the ground and haul the merman to him.

But no. Suave. Seductive.

Damn it…

"Hey, Sammich?"

Sam turned to Gabriel calling his name. "Yeah?" But Gabriel stayed silent, as if contemplating what he was about to say. So Sam urged him. "What's on your mind?"

"I was just thinking…" Gabriel said, his voice low as he watched the man and woman shifters on the television have their big reunion kiss, the sun setting behind them, making them look glorious. "If we weren't mates…would you still love me?"

Sam furrowed his eyebrows, wondering how that question came about. "You mean like if we were in some alternate universe where we weren't shifters?"

Gabriel's eyes were wide and shimmering when he turned to look at Sam. He looked so beautiful sitting there, the glow of the television screen making his skin glow a pale caramel colour and his eyes…Sam could easily get lost in them. Those were the first things he had noticed about Gabriel. It wasn't the scent, that came later, much later. It was those beautiful whiskey gold eyes that floored him. They were so bright, when they were filled with mirth, or swimming with annoyance, or when they flashed in anger.

Sam had fallen, love at first sight.

This was what all those fictional story books meant about mermaids luring sailors to the rocks. Sam was sure, if he had been a sailor, and he had sighted Gabriel sunning on a rock, he'd have taken his life just to get close to the beautiful being.

"Can I tell you a secret?" He asked, his voice soft as he spoke. "Remember the way we met?"

Gabriel nodded, recalling the memory of when he had first met his mate. He had been at the hospital with a large cut on his tail, from when he older brother Lucifer had accidentally stabbed him - pfft, yeah right. Accidentally. Lucifer never had liked him. He had been sitting in the hospital bed, his tail tied and wrapped, the tail fin playing in the small pool filled with warm water, when he looked up to the sudden commotion.

In came Dean, carrying a sick Sam, the boy looks so pale, his skin drenched with sweat, his hair matted. But his scent, oh his scent was nurses had placed him on the bed opposite Gabriel and had gotten to work. Words had flown so quickly passed Gabriel that he hadn't known what was wrong with his mate. But his body knew, his mind was aware. Sam would be fine.

Dean wouldn't leave his younger brothers side. But Gabriel had a perfect view of the beautiful wolf.

His mate.

His thoughts returned to the present as Sam cleared his throat, settling on the sofa so he was facing Gabriel. He dragged the merman closer, holding onto his legs and splaying them together on his lap, so Gabriel was lying on his lap. He held onto the merman's hands, marvelling at the webbed fingers and the thin golden fins on his arms.

"I was sick that day," he admitted, not looking up to Gabriel's pretty eyes. "I had wolfsbane poisoning."

Gabriel's eyes widened, his mouth in a small o shape. Poisoning? His mate was poisoned? Who dared to poison his mate?

"It was an accident, because I didn't listen to Dean," Sam smiled at the memory, remembering how much of an idiot he had been, of how worried Dean had been when he found him, on the ground. "But, I couldn't smell anything for a month."

Gabriel's anger ebbed, what had Sam just said? "You couldn't smell...a month...but that was when you met me."

Sam tapped the merman on his nose. "Exactly."

Gabriel's eyes widened at the confession. He had been so adamant about dating Sam, knowing he felt the same way. He had shown nothing but interest when they spoke over the night they had stayed in the hospital. Gabriel had been so sure it was because he could smell they were mates. Wolves had sharper noses, after all.

He had always been so worried that Sam only fell for him because they were mates. They were too different, they didn't have a lot in common when they first met. So he had always though that Sam was forcing himself to love him, all because of his instincts and need to mate. But now that he knew Sam wasn't able to scent him on that day, to scent their inevitable union for a whole month after they had first met. It made his heart swell.

"So you did fall for me first?" He asked, still not really believing this. How could a perfect wolf like Sam ever fall in love with a short, pudgy, trickster merman?

Sam nodded, holding his mate close to him, sucking in his scent. "I knew you were my soul mate without any help."

Gabriel melted into Sam's embrace, taking in everything Sam was giving him. He could hear Sam's heart thudding madly against his ear, arms wrapped like steel bands around him.

Gabriel looked up, not being able to take it anymore. He pressed his lips against Sam's, moving swiftly so he was straddled on his lap. He took Sam's face into his hands, burying his fingers into those gorgeous brunette strands as he kissed and kissed and kissed. He swallowed Sam's yelp, feeling those large hands run up his back and hold him close.

He could wait a month, if it meant he could have this every day for the rest of his life he'd wait a lifetime.


	9. Chapter 9

Dean stood in front of the large building, the rain had started to fall a lot more now, soaking them a little. The sun was finally setting in the distance, a slight breeze making the two shiver. Castiel's hand was tight around his own, sweating some and shaking as if he was nervous. He had no reason to be.

Even though Dean wanted to do nothing but lay with his octopus mate, and just breathe in his heavenly scent, he was going to let Castiel take the lead here. He wanted his mate to be comfortable around him. He wanted him to feel safe.

They had gotten this far and Dean didn't want to fuck it up.

Why was this so hard?

Castiel tightened his grip on Dean's hand, dragging him into the building. They walked through a small foyer and stopped in front of the elevator. It was a pretty swanky building for only two people, but the three story apartment seemed to have a ground floor reception area, a middle floor and the top floor where Castiel lived.

Dean let out a breath, he wasn't used to such an ostentatious property. He lived in a small two bedroom house with his baby brother Sam, not even his parents home back in Kansas was anything like this. He didn't know what to do, what if he broke something? But Castiel breezed through the home, pressing the button to the top floor and stepping into the lifts, Dean followed, still joined to his mate by their hands. He'd just have to deal with the fact that his pretty little mate came from money.

The lifts moved to the top floor and dinged, opening up to a long corridor like space, with a mirror on one wall an a coat rack on the other wall, at the very opposite of the lifts was a front door. The door leading to his mates home...nest? Did octopuses call their homes nests? Dean called his home a den, did Castiel think the same way?

It didn't matter. He shrugged off his damp coat and Castiel took it, hanging it on one of the hooks, right next to his coat, and fished into his pockets for the keys. He opened the front door and Dean was bombarded by the sweet scent of his mate.

Oh...yes. He was going to like it here.

Taking in a deep breath, he followed Castiel into his home. It was a quaint, two bedroom apartment. They immediately stepped into a living room, soft looking sofa's in the centre of the room, facing a large television on the wall. There were two hallways on one side of the apartment, one directly next to the front door and one of the far side, probably leading to two separate room. There was also a large enclosed room, like a balcony that rested at the far end of the home. Dean could see a large swimming pool filled with shining, lit up water.

Castiel had a pool in his home?

Well, he and Gabriel were marine shifters, they needed some body of water around them. But it still made Dean a bit self conscious. Castiel was so rich. Could he provide anything and everything Castiel needed? He didn't even have a book or the internet to read up on octopus shifters, their habits or needs. There hadn't been many in history, and even then, they always kept to themselves.

It must be so hard for Castiel to be something he knew nothing about. How much help could his family be if they didn't know how he worked? It was easy to read up on mermaids, or wolves, they were a dime a dozen, but something as rare as an octopus shifter. There wasn't anything on them. He was so proud of his mate. Castiel had overcome so many odds to get to where he was, he had fought so many battles to live the life he was living now, regardless of his rich parents. And Dean wanted him to know that.

But he wanted to make sure Castiel was relaxed.

"Do you want a tour?" Castiel blurted out, not looking up to the wolf. He kicked off his shoes and placed them neatly on the side. Dean followed him, taking his own shoes off and placing them next to Castiel's. He took notice of how relaxed Castiel got now that his shoes were off. Maybe having to force his appendages into them was not the best for his octopus. Dean would have to make sure Castiel wasn't doing something to those pretty tentacles that could cause him harm.

"Sure," Dean said, he was excited to see more of Castiel's home.

Castiel took him from one place to another, showing him the large kitchen to the right, and the two hallways to the left, one which led to Gabriel's rooms, and one which led to Castiel's. He even showed Dean the pool. It looked deep, and it was sectioned off in the middle, there was a ledge submerged into the water, it would have been just shoulder high if they were in it. That was interesting.

They walked back into the living room, and Dean sat down on the sofa.

"Alright Cas." He said with a smile. "You got me at your house. What do you wanna do to me?"

Castiel looked nervous, his eyes darting this way and that and not really landing anywhere for too long. His played his his fingers, his head dropped down. His tentacles were squirming in his jeans. He looked so adorable, his skin flushed pink.

"I don't... I don't know." He whispered, his voice barely legible, but Dean heard him. "I...just wanted..."

Dean sent off waves of safety and protection, wanting desperately for Castiel to calm down, to relax. He was so tense, just standing there. "What did you want?"

"You."

Dean's eyes softened at his answer. All of his worries and concerns about their relationship melted away, and all with that one word. Castiel wanted him, he really did love him. He wasn't afraid, he was just nervous. "Well you have me."

"No. I mean..." Castiel's tentacles fidgeted, wanting to come out from their confines, but he still stood there, the dipping sunset behind them making his skin glow. Dean's wolf bounded inside him, wanting to hold his mate close. "I'm sorry."

"Cas." Dean said, reaching a hand out to the octopus.

Castiel moved away, turning from Dean and staring out into the murky pool waters. "I'm such an idiot. Why did I even think..." His fist thudded lightly against the glass door. "You're in love with Cassie."

"What?" Dean stood up, he couldn't have heard that right. Why was Castiel so adamant about him and Cassie? Why did he not understand? "Cas. We are mates. I know you've felt it too. And I don't know about you. But wolves mate for life."

Castiel paused, not turning around. But Dean could see him working through what he had said. This was a confession of interest, of intent. A courtship. Dean wanted to start a courtship with Castiel. Why did he not understand that?

Castiel's deep voice was low when he spoke. "But Cassie?"

"I'm not in love with that cat shifter. Can you imagine? A wolf and a cat?" Dean growled, feeling his fangs sharpen in his mouth, his wolf prowling on the surface.

There was no point to turn alpha right now, he needed Castiel calm, he needed the octopus to understand. The fact that he was still so adamant about him and Cassie just proved to Dean that his precious mate had gone through so much. He had no self-confidence. He bound and hid his tentacles, the very thing that made him who he was. Dean wanted him to know that he could be who he truly was around him.

"It's normal." Castiel said meekly. "More so than a wolf and an octopus."

Dean saw red, he reached for Castiel and turned him around, pushing him up against the glass partition. "Don't you dare belittle yourself." But when Castiel visibly stiffened, he backed away. "Cas. I...you are amazing, and beautiful. And you smell fucking perfect."

Castiel's eyes darted up to his, seeing honesty in his eyes.

Dean truly felt that way. And how could he not? Castiel, his pretty little octopus, standing there with his beautiful eyes so wide that Dean could drown in them, his lips opened slightly, that Dean wanted to kiss him, to bite down on that pout and take, take, take. He wanted desperately just to press Castiel back against the glass, lay kisses on his skin, bite down on his neck, worship his pretty tentacles and make it so he would never second guess himself, ever again.

"I don't want anyone else." His voice was quiet, but his eyes spoke volumes.

Castiel couldn't bare it, here was the very thing he wanted. And yet...yet...why was he not persuing this? Dean obviously felt something for him, what that was, Castiel did not know, or understand. But Dean was here now, he was so warm, his heart beating heavily in his chest. It was soothing, it was calming.

"But the letter?" He asked, wanting to tear away every doubt he had for Dean's love for him.

He knew they were mates, but he just had to make sure. This kind of thing never happened to him. He was the quiet one, the one in the background, the one no one took notice of. He didn't want Dean to suddenly turn around and walk away. Castiel wanted this wolf, he wanted him for life.

"You haven't opened it?" Dean asked, leaning closer, so close that their breathing mingled, and Castiel's glasses fogged up.

He nodded. "It was for..."

"You. You idiot." But Dean's smile brightened. "The letter is for you."

Castiel's pretty blue eyes widened, and Dean scented the tell tale sweet smell of his ink. Looking down, he saw their feet covered in a pool of black.

He chuckled. "I'm gonna take that as a good thing,"

"I'm sorry!" Castiel's cheeks tinged pink as he backed away from the wolf. His back hit the glass door and he let out a squeak. He was trapped, embarrassed out of his mind, and Dean was smiling so wonderfully.

Dean took his quivering fingers into his own hands, holding them to his chest. Castiel stopped fidgeting and looked up into his deep candy green eyes.

"Cas, its okay," He said, his voice in a low growl, and his eyes bright. "You don't have to apologise, it's fine."

And Castiel really did feel calm, comforted by Dean's words. After all, this was his mate. The only one that mattered. As long as his mate didn't freak out, then everything was fine. Who cared what the world thought. Right?

"I wanna take you on a date," Dean said, his smile like sunshine, bright and happy, and full of hope, that Castiel couldn't help but nod in agreement. At that moment, he would have done anything to keep that smile on his mates face. "But, I have a request,"

Castiel paused, not sure where this was going. Fear sparked through him, what if Dean wanted him to dress a certain way? What if he forced him to something he didn't want to do? What if...oh god. What if this was all a joke after all?

"Can you stop tying your tentacles?" He asked, and Castiel pushed him back. Dean stumbled a few steps back, looking as if he had just been slapped in the face.

Castiel wrapped his arms around himself, dropping down onto the ground, his bulbous tentacles wanting to come out from his jeans. He wanted to hide himself in them, hide himself away from the world. Why did he think Dean was any different? Stop tying his tentacles? So the world could see, so he could see and just laugh at them. Laugh at how they moved, how they slithered around, laugh at how large his suckers were.

He couldn't breathe. He tried to suck in gulp fulls of breaths, but nothing was happening, his heart hammered in his chest, his skin tightened and there was a high pitched sound reverberating in his head. Shit, he was going into a panic attack.

Dean was by his side suddenly, wrapping his arm around Castiel's shoulders, forcing him to look up into his eyes. "Breathe with me," he said, but his voice was muffled by the pounding in his head, and that annoying skree sound. But he followed what his mate was saying, imitating him as he breathed in slowly. Dean was worried, he was scared for him.

Once his breathing was back to normal, and his panic attack ebbed away, he gazed up into those fear-filled eyes, afraid for him, not of him. And he choked out. "Don't make fun of me, please."

Dean pulled him close, tightening his arms around Castiel's body, lifting him up from the ground and placing him on his lap. Castiel could hear his heavy heartbeat slow down.

"I wasn't making fun of you," Dean breathed into his hair. "I want you to be comfortable around me, that's all." Castiel lay his head against Dean's chest, listening to his soothing heartbeat, taking in his amazing scent, letting himself have this.

"I know it hurts you," Dean continued, his fingers running down the jeans, to where his tentacles were throbbing. "I don't want you in pain,"

"I don't know." Castiel murmured, his voice muffled by Dean's shirt. "You won't like it,"

Dean pulled him back, looking into his eyes. "Show me,"

And Castiel couldn't say no.


	10. Chapter 10

Show me.

Dean wanted to see his tentacles.

Castiel was freaking out. But Dean's scent exuded nothing but calmness, patience and love. Castiel suddenly felt like he was on display, but he reprimanded himself. This was Dean Winchester, his mate, the one who had just told him that he cared for him, maybe even loved him. Mates could be fickle that way. It was one thing to know you were compatible with a person, it was another to actually fall in love with that person.

He had to hand it to Gabriel, he and his mate were dating, and had been for the past few years. Castiel wanted something like that with Dean too. Something that was solid. But Dean had shown nothing but patience since the beginning. Maybe they already skirted around one another enough?

Nerves filled him. His gaze darting down to Dean's body, he saw the flat outline of his broad chest beneath his shirt. He licked his lips in anticipation. Yes, he wanted to mark his mate all over, kiss his skin and just hold him close.

Dean reached out to him, ushering him to the middle of the room. Castiel nodded, motioning for him to sit on the sofa. He needed to get this over with before he got tongue tied or flustered.

"Just, stay there." He said, unbuckling his belt and taking off his jeans. They slipped down and pooled onto the ground and eight thick tentacles, bound into two bunches, bulbous and tinged a bluish purple, stood in their place.

Dean didn't move, he just watched. He knew just how much it was taking for Castiel to show him something so intimate. And he was eager to see more, as much as Castiel allowed him to see. Those tentacles had felt amazing on his wrist, the sucker shape was prominent on his skin, his first mate mark, and he wanted to show it to the world. He wondered just how many more marks those tentacles could leave on him. He'd proudly wear them all.

Castiel unbound them from their bandages, dropping the white strips to the ground. His tentacles splayed out, thick and firm. They seemed to crisscross over one another as Castiel balanced himself. The seam from his body to his tentacles was covered by the tails of his shirt, and even though Dean wanted to see, he didn't want to overstep his boundaries.

Castiel moved, so gracefully, his tentacles slithering along the varnished ground with precision. He stopped in front of Dean, settling in the space next to him.

Dean stayed still, as one of Castiel's tentacles rose up towards him, just hovering in front of him. Dean hesitated a little, not really knowing what to expect. But he was adamant to show he was okay with this. This was his mate.

He slowly reached out to touch the tip of his tentacle. He stroked it, his fingertips running along the smooth flesh, it felt just like the skin of his arm, but it was a little moist. He noticed Castiel was hesitant, his other tentacles squirming.

"Go ahead," He said, wanting Castiel to follow his instincts, whatever they were saying for him to do. Castiel had no need to be scared around him. "I'm not afraid,"

Castiel couldn't believe the trust Dean was placing in him. He said he wasn't afraid, and the octopus didn't scent any fear or distrust from him. And that was more than enough for him. A low moan escaped his lips and he wrapped his tentacle gently around Dean's palm, slithering up to his wrist and encircling it around his arm. He tightened his grip, letting the suckers move and press against him.

Dean sucked in the heady scent of his happy mate. "Don't stop,"

Castiel nodded, seeing that Dean was calm, he was okay with this. So he rose up to his tentacle tips, and held up two more tentacles. His gaze never left Dean's, watching for any discomfort. But Dean was showing nothing but calm. So Castiel continued. He reached a tentacle around Dean's arm, curling it along the length, his suckers brushed against his skin, kissing and sucking, tasting him.

Dean traced his hands slowly over Castiel's hips, running small circles with his thumbs. His wolf was bounding joyfully inside him, wanting to burst out, so happy that he was finally able to touch his mate.

Castiel's body seemed to come alive, his tentacles tasting and touching Dean's skin, he wanted to wrap all of his tentacles around Dean, to squeeze him and hold him close, to hide him in his tentacles, where it was just them. But he wasn't about to jump so far ahead. He had to do this slowly. Baby steps.

Dean's body throbbed under those tentacles, the suckers acting like hundreds of tiny kisses all along his skin. He couldn't describe the feeling if he tried, this feeling put an ordinary mouth to shame. Every single kiss was like a little bolt of lightning singing through his skin.

He looked deep into Castiel's eyes, they were half lidded and his scent was sweet, thick with arousal and it turned Dean on so bad. Another tentacle gripped his other arm, holding onto him tightly. Dean had to hold back a moan. He didn't want Castiel to stop.

He shivered at the sweet sensations, his wolf laying low, panting for more.

"Don't stop," he gasped, trying to stay calm. "You're beautiful,"

Castiel let out a sigh, his chest rising and falling as his breaths quickened. Dean thought he was beautiful, even with this…monstrosity around him?

"You are," Dean followed, seeing Castiel's apprehension. He couldn't help but reach out to his mate, gently pulling Castiel onto his lap, wanting him closer.

Castiel splayed his tentacles out on Dean's lap, his tentacles sliding further up his arm, the tips slipping into his shirt. Dean found they were warm, slightly slick, but they made him shiver.

"Please tell me if it gets too much?" Castiel said slowly, two of his tentacles curling around Dean's ankles, holding him steady on the sofa.

Dean nodded, noticing Castiel had started to breathe a little faster now. God, they were such a mess. Castiel was such a pretty little thing, Dean didn't know how to take care of him. But he was going to try. Dean wanted this, and he knew Castiel wanted this too. He leaned back against the sofa, letting his mate do whatever he wanted. He was aware of the coil of tentacles running up his leg, curling under his jeans and stopping just as they reached the back of his knees.

Dean's knees weakened with relief as he stared into his mate's eyes. He wasn't sure if Castiel wanted to go further than this tonight. They were compatible, they were following their instincts, but they were still human. And Dean knew that this wasn't going to go as far as sex. He hoped for it to, but that was just a fantasy for now.

"Can I kiss you?" Dean asked, reaching up to hold Castiel's face.

Castiel's cheeks tinged a light pink, but he nodded. Dean pulled his face down, pressing a kiss to his soft lips. And it was as if a dam broke. Castiel dropped down onto him, kissing him back, running his fingers through those soft blonde spikes and pulling him up from the sofa.

Something inside Dean broke then, maybe it was the delicious taste of their scent mixed together, or the feel of his skin, or his unwavering stare. But Dean turned instantly, letting his wolf out, and pulled Castiel close, leaning down and devouring his mouth.

Castiel was half confused, but he hissed at the sensation of Dean's warm soft lips attacking his as if Dean were the only thing he needed to survive. He cupped Dean's cheek, fusing their lips tighter together.

Dean felt another tentacle rise from between them, waving a little back and forth, as if deciding where to go, hesitating on what it really wanted to do. Dean reached up to it, grabbing it and resting it on his chest, near his heart. He licked at the seam of Castiel's lips, plunging his tongue into that sweet mouth. He counted that as the fifth tentacle. The remaining three tentacles stayed curled between them, coiling around the hem of Dean's shirt, the suckers kissing along his skin, wanting to slide up.

"Cas, I don't know how far you wanna go," He murmured into those soft, plush, kiss-bruised lips, kissing him once again. Now that he was able to, he didn't want to stop.

Castiel stilled. Dean leaned back away from the octopus shifter, catching his breath. This was still new, still fresh. They'd get to everything later. There was no rush.

The octopus lifted up off from Dean, settling next to him on the sofa. But Dean didn't want Castiel to move too far away, so he pulled Castiel's tentacles onto his lap. God, he had such soft appendages, and they were longer than he had expected. If Castiel straightened them and stood on the tips, he'd be taller than Dean's moose of a wolf brother.

He gently gave Castiel's tentacles a gentle rub, moving his hands lightly over the ones he could reach, lifting them up and reaching for those round suckers underneath.

Castiel laughed. "That tickles,"

Dean smiled, glad that Castiel was relaxed enough to just laugh with him. He marvelled at the appendages, holding the closest tentacles to him. He laid his fingers underneath and his thumbs on top of a few, blowing against the suckers, seeing them flinch and curl in. He started to move his thumbs in slow circles over the skin.

"You don't have to—"

"Don't hide them from me," Dean said, interrupting Castiel. It was amazing how beautiful these pretty tentacles were, how Castiel would hide them in his jeans and shoes. They must have ached being tied up.

He continued, working on stroking from the bend of his tentacles to the very tips, massaging all that he could. They were thick and fat, warm beneath his fingers. He looked up to see Castiel had laid his head to the side, his eyes closed. He looked at peace and Dean's overall excitement of finally touching those pretty tentacles calmed.

He moved his fingers against the suckers underneath, rubbing over them, kneading the flesh. He listened to Castiel's heartbeat, his breathing, watching his chest rise and fall while his own breathing fell non-existent. It was like they were in a bubble, just them in this moment.

He got lost in the massage, his wolf happy to tend to his mate. The feeling of Castiel's skin under his own, the joy of finally touching him, this beautiful, intelligent, curious, wonderful shifter. How many times did Castiel have the chance to just let it all go, to rest and relax?

Dean was going to make sure Castiel stayed happy, and warm, and healthy. They'd live in a nice house, with a pool. Dean would sit with his mate, massaging his tentacles, looking up to see love in Castiel's eyes, and a belly round and healthy with their pups…or eggs whatever, Dean didn't care.

He looked up to see his precious mate had fallen asleep, his face relaxed, free of the pain he had been carrying before. For a while Dean just say there, his hands resting on those pretty tentacles, seeing them squirm sleepily and wrap around his arms. He dreamed of holding his mate close, having those tentacles wrapped around him.

He smiled, slowly getting up, careful not to wake his mate as he lifted him up into his arms. Castiel's tentacles sleepily tightened around him, all eight appendages wrapping around his body, his waist and his legs. He was a lot lighter than Dean first expected.

He entered Castiel's dark bedroom, taking a quick look around. He lay Castiel onto the bed, but those tentacles held on strong. Not knowing what to do, he lay down next to his mate, hoping that Castiel would loosen his hold and then he'd be free. He pulled the covers over them, leaning down to press a kiss onto his forehead. He smelled so sweet.

In the warmth and safety of his mate's tentacles, hearing his heart beating, holding onto his heat and having him close, safe, protected in his arms, Dean found his eyes drooping closed until he too fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

The full moon danced out in the clouds, the scent of the salty water in the bathtub filled the air, lapping against the ceramic tub.

Slowly, Gabriel emerged out from the under the water. He brushed back his slick hair, combing his fingers through the wet strands. His skin glistened in the light all the way to his hips where his scales formed out into a beautiful golden tail. He flicked his tail, splashing against the water. A wicked smile crossed his lips as he caught scent of his prey. Sam was in the other room. The nerd was still studying. He was going to be a lawyer, and Gabriel was going to do everything in his power to make that dream of his come true.

With that in mind, he took in a deep breath and began to sing. The dulcet melody lifted softly at first, flitting through the air. A song that would calm and soothe his mate.

Sam was in the living room when his wolf ears flicked up, the sound of something mesmerising making him suddenly stop typing. It twisted around his mind, relaxing him, calming him. But his wolf was bounding inside him, begging him to get up and move. His mate was singing. Gabriel never sang. Being a merman, he had powers in his voice. But he was singing. Sam took a quick sniff in the air, and he could scent his mate in the bathroom, taking a bath.

Gabriel was singing. And his voice was beautiful. Louder and louder his voice got, even though Gabriel was barely whispering. But this was Sam's mate, and he was in-tuned to his mate. He no longer had control over himself as he changed his course and got up, making his way towards his mate.

He made his way across the apartment until he reached the bathroom door. Pushing it open he could no longer see anything but the beautiful angel singing in the bathtub. His very beauty was staggering and Sam stood, stunned. Their eyes met. Gabriel was slightly shocked, but he smiled.

"Hey baby," Gabriel said, leaning up against the lip of the tub, with an alluring smile, motioning for Sam to come closer. Sam complied, kneeling down onto the ground. The merman smirked, leaning up to kiss him. It was just a light peck on his mouth, before he slid back into the water.

No, it wasn't enough. Sam reached for him, sliding closer to the tub onto the tiles, his fingers grazing against the soft, slick skin of Gabriel arms, his chest, wanting more.

"Sam," Gabriel reached up again.

But Sam didn't listen, his lovely mate had lured him in, and now he was going to take. The water was surprisingly warm as he leaned in, wrapping his hand around Gabriel's bicep, the other encircling his waist, massaging against his hard shimmering scales. He pressed his lips against Gabriel's, tasting the sweet and saltiness of his lips.

Gabriel moaned, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected this to happen. Sam's kisses were rushed, full of passion as his hunger grew. His hands roamed lower, meeting the scales and gripping against them. Gabriel wrapped his arms around Sam's body, lowering him into the water until the wolf was straddling over his tail.

Gabriel splashed his tail against the water and Sam leaned back, sitting on his mate's lap. He was kneeling in the tub, his jeans and the bottom half of his shirt was drenched in the water. He looked up to see Gabriel, the beautiful merman, with his whiskey gold eyes blown wide.

"I…sorry, I don't know what I'm doing," Sam stuttered, pulling himself out of the tub. "I just couldn't help myself,"

Gabriel stopped him, he reached out and grabbed a handful of Sam's hair, holding him still without hurting him. He pulled Sam back into the tub, the water lapping around them.

"Never play with a merman's heart, Sammy-boy." Gabriel murmured, his voice a low grown and his eyes flashing bright gold. His teeth sharpened into fangs. Sam knew what he was doing, he was playing with a siren, a sexual being. One who enjoyed sex, yet he was doing nothing to quell his thirst. "Never leave them wanting,"

Sam wanted to lean back, to get away, he wanted Gabriel yes, but he wasn't sure he was ready for that yet, at least he didn't think so. He was transfixed to those gorgeous eyes. The scent of safety and mate, want and desire filled his nose. He didn't want to leave. He was silent, dropping himself onto the merman, pushing Gabriel's hair from his face.

"I love you, Sam." Gabriel murmured, looking into his bright eyes.

Sam sucked in a breath, his heart filling with warmth. "I love you too,"

"But you must be punished," Gabriel stated dominatingly, and Sam couldn't help but whimper into submission. "You don't understand how much I want you,"

"Then why not take me?" Sam asked, his ears laying low on his long hair, he peered up through his lashes. He knew why Gabriel was waiting, why he wouldn't go further than this with him.

Sam wanted him just as bad. But he was such a prude.

"You know why," The merman answered, flicking his tail up to slap Sam's back. Sam grunted, swishing his wet furry tail against those scales. God they were so soft. "Now are you going to be a good boy?"

Sam wrinkled his nose, he never liked it when someone called him a 'good boy', but it was different with his mate. He heard the love and care behind those words. They weren't a taunt or a jibe, they were filled with love.

He leaned back against the ceramic of the tub, pulling Sam in closer until the wolf's head lay on his chest. He closed his eyes and just letting his mates' scent envelope around him. Sam watched him as they lay still on the water. He looked so beautiful, so serene. He laid his head back onto Gabriel's chest and listen to the heavy thud of his heartbeat. The air was scented with the sweet smell of his mate, and the mix of aloe and rock salt in the water, in aid to soothe and aches they may have had.

Sam knew today would not be the day. He was allured by the sound of Gabriel's singing, of his beautiful siren voice as he rested. But at least he got a kiss. And slowly, Sam felt his body relax under the warm water, the soothing scent of his mate filling his nose.

Dean awoke to the most wondrous feeling in the world.

He was warm, safe, protected. He felt whole, like his entire life had slotted in to each and every piece perfectly. He didn't want to open his eyes, he didn't want to break out from this perfect dream world. But his body didn't listen. His nose picked up the amazing scent around him, his body tried to move, but he found couldn't. He sensed no threat, but he was still a little alarmed. What was holding him down?

He peered through one eye to see a large mass of purple tinged limbs over him, a large lump of twisting and turning tentacles sitting delicately on his chest. His arms were wrapped inside the mass. Flexing his hands, he could feel soft warm skin under the pads of his fingers, and a wiry heat under the other.

Cas.

Cas?

The octopus shifter was sleeping under his tentacles, wrapping them both under the thick mass of his legs. Was this a way he protected himself? If so, he was also protecting Dean as well. The wolf grinned with glee.

The octopus moved, his tentacles fidgeting and wrapping tighter around Dean, holding his arms and legs in place. Dean could hear his soft snores as he breathed out on Dean's chest. He was listening to his heartbeat, Dean was sure of it. He shuddered, wrapping his arms tighter around his mate. He was so glad that they were finally at this point in their relationship. His mate trusted him, he wasn't afraid of him. He lay sleeping, in his most vulnerable state, and trusted Dean not to do anything.

This was his mate!

Dean still couldn't believe it.

He lay there, basking in the scent of his content mate, happy and healthy. He was so mad for this man. Would this happen every morning? Dean wished they would, they'd be wrapped in one another, just enjoying the dewy morning as the sunlight filtered through the curtains.

He looked down at his mate, thinking about their future now that they were together. Dean didn't want Castiel to hide his gorgeous tentacles. Why he though they were such a burden, Dean didn't understand. They were so beautiful, eight thick, powerful legs with those large red suckers, tapering into fat points. They felt warm and firm wrapped around him.

Those tentacles held his pretty mate up, they moved him around. Those tentacles were the one thing that brought Castiel to Dean. They were the ones that had gotten Castiel to the school entrance, to the edge of the bench where he had sat down. That was where Dean had perfect view of him. He still remembered the first time he had seen his mate. The scent of ink stung his nose at first, it was heavy and intensely sweet smelling, but it was the heady scent of salt water and thunder that made Dean salivate. Benny had to hold him back before he did anything rash, like rush up there, pick up Castiel and just take him away.

But by the time he had calmed his alpha wolf down, Castiel had gone.

When Dean caught sight of him again later that morning, the poor octopus shifter was being pushed around by the douche bag Alastair, that asshole hyena shifter had another thing coming if he ever though to mess with Dean's mate. Wanting to speak to his mate, Dean had turned to where he had fallen. But once again, Castiel had run away.

It wasn't until he had been introduced to the class was when he smelled that intoxicating scent of thunder and salt water again. When he looked up he saw Castiel sitting there, his beautiful blue eyes were wide, as was his mouth. Dean was delighted when he sat in front of his mate – it seemed like their teacher had scented the two. But before he even had a chance to turn around and say hello, Castiel had run, leaving a sweet smell in his wake.

But Dean knew they were going to be together ever since that fateful moment. They were going to be together forever.

The mass of tentacles on his chest moved, unravelling themselves until Dean could see the top half of Castiel's head. The octopus peered up through bleary eyes, looking adorable as he did so.

Dean felt his heart melt at that sight. "Mornin' sunshine,"

Castiel's eyes widened and he pushed himself off from Dean, his tentacles tangling in one another and he fell to the ground with a slippery thump.

"Dean?" He asked, wincing as he sat up, his tentacles creating a circle around him, protecting him from the fall.

Dean reached down and took his arm, pulling him back on the bed. He gave Castiel's body a sweep over, making sure he wasn't hurt. But Castiel was fine. His cheeks were tinged pink however.

"Morning," He murmured, settling down next to his mate on the bed. He didn't know how they had gotten there in the first place. The last thing he remembered was…

…oh, Dean had massaged his tentacles. He wasn't afraid or disgusted by them. Castiel itched to run his tentacles around Dean now, to breathe him in. He had been having the most wondrous dream, where he was laying with Dean, his belly round with their eggs as they basked in the wonderful world they had created around themselves. His heart hammered in his chest and he curled his tentacles in, wanting to hide his reddening face.

It was a nice thought, though.

He and his mate, in a beautiful home, with little pups that looked like them both, they'd have Dean's pretty eyes, and those adorable wolf ears. And maybe…maybe one would have tentacles. And if it did, Castiel would make sure that his baby never felt the same remorse and hatred for his tentacles that he did.

Dean cleared his throat, bringing Castiel back to the present. He noticed his body had instinctively wrapped its way around Dean's. His tentacles were coiled around his arms and legs, suckers kissing at his skin.

"Sorry," He muttered, unwinding them, the suckers left his skin with a pop. Embarrassed, Castiel stood up and quickly made his way out of the room. He rushed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Dean looked down to his body, his arms and legs and the strip just below his waist was littered with little suction marks, they weren't as dark as the one on his wrist, but they were easily visible if you looked hard enough.

"Huh." He touched one, it didn't hurt him at all. It looked kind of like a hickey, there were hundreds of little hickies all over his body, some large, some small, all perfectly round.

Huh…

That was different. Not unpleasant however, but it just meant that Dean was going to have to start wearing long sleeved shirts when he went outside. Hmm...

But first, he had a date to plan.


	12. Chapter 12

Castiel was nervous.

He stood in front of his large cupboard, just staring at his clothes. His heart hammering in his chest as he tried to pick out something, anything, that would look good on him for his date with Dean.

A date.

With Dean Winchester.

Castiel of a week ago would never have believed this. That he was about to go on his first date with Dean, that he had kissed Dean. That he had shown his tentacles and Dean hadn't grimaced, hadn't run, he hadn't said anything but pleasant things about him and his tentacles.

That was new.

And he was going to bask in the compliments for as long as he was able to. The only worry he really had was that Dean didn't want him to bind his tentacles any more. He eyed the thick bandages on his dresser. He knew he'd feel a lot more comfortable if he had them on, but he knew Dean would be upset.

Long skirts it was then.

Folding his jeans and putting them back, he dug through to the back of his cupboard until he found what he was looking for. He had a small stack of long skirts that he had worn when he had first started school. Skirts made it easy for his tentacles to roam without being tied up.

But he had been bullied ruthlessly because of them, boys didn't wear skirts, he was a girl, a freak. His fingers gripped tight on the black skirt in his grasp.

Dean wouldn't say that.

Dean wouldn't say anything bad.

Dean was his mate.

Dean would make sure he was safe.

With that, he slipped his tentacles through the skirt, feeling the flow of the material rest against his tentacles. They weren't being held back, they weren't tied tight, and he didn't need to wear shoes. Although he thought to at least wear some kinds of flats to make sure he didn't step on anything that would hurt. Slithering around with no shoes on was an awful feeling. Something he only did in his house because he knew the floor would be clean of any debris.

He thought to wear the thick heeled ballet shoes he usually wore when he came out of the pool into the house. Gabriel was always annoyed whenever he left wet tracks on the floor. Slipping the eight shoes onto his tentacles, wrapping them up so they didn't fall off, he let out a sigh of relief. This felt so much better than his tentacles being forced into shoes.

"Wow, baby bro, you tentacling out tonight?" Gabriel's voice came through the doorway. Startled, Castiel stood up, shoving the hem of his skirt down so it covered his legs. "This Dean must mean a lot if you're going commando."

"I am not 'tentacling out'," Castiel turned a bright pink, pressing his hands down over his skirt, pushing away any wrinkles. "Or…going commando,"

"Uh-huh," Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Just make sure you wear protection, don't want any eggs lying about before marriage eh?"

"Gabriel!" Castiel yelled, reaching a tentacle out to close the door to his bedroom. He heard Gabriel laughing on the other side, and he groaned.

Oh god. He wasn't ready for something like that, was he?

But he couldn't help but run his hands over his stomach. What would it feel like to see his stomach swell, to know that his and Dean's baby was growing—

Wait! Wait. That kind of thought was way too far ahead in the future. They were only going on their first date, Castiel shouldn't be thinking about kids. Not yet.

Castiel paused, scenting the air. He could taste the heady smell of cherry and motor grease that made the delicious scent of his mate before he heard the doorbell ring.

Oh god. Oh god, he was here. Dean was here.

Castiel tried to calm himself. Taking deep breaths, he took one quick look in his mirror, making sure his hair was fine. It was a mess of curls over his head, like always, but he could never do anything about that. He was a marine shifter, he needed to be near water, taking a dip in the pool every once in a while was normal. But his hair always suffered for it. Gabriel had it right, he just slicked his back and they stayed that way.

He heard Gabriel answer the door for him, and he could hear their murmuring through the door as they talked. About what, Castiel wasn't sure. Sucking in a brave breath, he pulled his door open and walked out, his skirt billowing below him.

Oh wow. Dean was gorgeous, dressed in tight black jeans and a red plaid shirt, with those biker boots. His hair was tussled and the fur on his wolf ears and tail was sleek. His eyes were bright and shining, and his scent, oh…his scent was fantastic.

Dean was staring at him, and Castiel could scent his approval. Looking down, he smoothed his shirt and skirt, hoping it was okay. He prayed Dean wouldn't say anything about the skirt. He was the one who had asked for Castiel to have his tentacles out. This was the only way Castiel knew how.

"Beautiful," Dean's voice was low as he made his way to Castiel, holding his hand out and ushering the octopus close. He spun Castiel around, taking a better look at him. Castiel complied, holding back a chuckle as he spun under Dean's arm.

"Thank you," Castiel replied, his cheeks tinged a light pink. "You look very handsome,"

Dean's chest puffed up with pride and he smirked. He held out the crook of his elbow for Castiel to take. "You're not wearing shoes, are you? I don't want you in pain,"

Castiel's heart melted. Dean was worried for him. He lifted his skirt up a little, showing off the black sock like shoes on his tentacle tips.

"Ballet shoes?" Dean asked, seeing the resemblance in them, he shrugged his shoulders. As long as Castiel was calm and pain free. "You ready?"

Castiel nodded, dutifully following his mate as they walked out of the house.

"Don't wait up, Gabe." Castiel said with a smile as he closed the door behind him.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, having watched the entire scene. Shrugging his shoulders, he reached for his phone on the table top and started typing away.

Cas has gone with Dean, wanna come over?

The phone chirped again with a reply, and Gabriel smiled. One more night to spend with his lovely submissive mate.

Castiel felt his tentacles squirm in nervousness as he sat in the passenger seat of Dean's 'Baby'. The Chevy Impala was gorgeous, Dean said it was a 1967 model, the best model out there, and Castiel could see Dean adored her. She revved and purred loud as they drove down the long winding road to town. The leather seats were soft and slightly worn, but the entire car smelled of Dean his family and his pack.

It was nice to know that there wasn't any lingering scent of cat in here.

The sound of classic rock, a song Castiel couldn't put a name to, played, and everything was exciting, intense, but at the same time it was calm and relaxing.

Castiel was nervous, this was his first date since…well, ever. And he didn't know what he was supposed to do. Should he hold onto Dean's hand? Should he say something? Should he stay quiet? Should he ask where they were going? What if they were going to a place with lots of people? What if people noticed he was wearing a skirt? What if Castiel tripped over something and his tentacles were exposed? What if people laughed at him? What if Dean laughed at him? Why was it suddenly so quiet in here? Why was it getting harder to breathe?

"You alright there, Cas?" Dean asked, his eyes darting from the road and to the nervous octopus shifter sitting next to him.

Castiel shook his head, his tentacles squirming under his skirt. "I can't do this, Dean."

Dean's hand reached out laying on Castiel's shaking one. He squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm right here, Cas. I ain't gonna let anything bad happen,"

Castiel let out a breath. Dean was right. He was probably just overthinking things. He wasn't going to get anywhere if he kept on psyching himself out. He nodded to Dean, and they continued on their way. He could do this.

They stopped in front of a swanky looking restaurant, the word 'Amara's' written in swirl at the very top. Castiel looked out and gulped in his fear. The restaurant looked…rich. There were smartly dressed servers rushing back and forth through the tables and chairs to get to their customers, pretentious music playing in the air, and the place was filled with different perfumes that made Castiel's head spin. The place was packed. There were centre pieces on the small tables!

Castiel froze. He couldn't do this. Not in a place like this. This place reminded him of his family and…Castiel didn't want to remember his family. Not one bit. There was a reason why he had moved so far away.

"Wanna go in?" Dean asked, noticing his mate's vehemence to such a restaurant. He had thought Castiel would be used to a place like this. Maybe he was wrong.

"I…I can't do this." Castiel said, his voice choked with emotions he didn't want to admit to, not right now. Maybe in the future, when they were old and grey, but not now, not when today was such a wonderful day. "I'm sorry, Dean."

"Nah, I'm sorry. I assumed you'd like something like this," Dean shook his head, taking a tighter grip of Castiel's hand. He ran his thumb on the back of Castiel's hand, making small soothing circles.

He let go of Castiel's hand and started his car again. Castiel sucked in a harrowing breath, amazed at his mate. He knew it must have taken some elbow grease to get reservations to a place like that. Yet, he didn't even say anything. He just continued as if this wasn't what he had planned for their date.

They stopped in front of Ellen's Roadhouse, it wasn't a large place, but it seemed warm and homey inside. There were a few patrons, sitting in booths and tables, minding their own business.

It smelled like Dean in here, like he visited this place a lot. And Castiel felt his body relax at that. Dean looked at Castiel, trying to gauge his reaction, when he didn't see any hesitance, other than nerves, he smiled.

"Ellen is good people," He said, hoping to exude off waves of comfort to the octopus.

He seemed so sure of himself, but Castiel could see his grip was still on the steering wheel, if Castiel didn't want to go inside, Dean would drive to someplace else. And Castiel had an inkling that Dean would continue to drive until they found a place Castiel was comfortable in.

Honestly, Castiel wasn't comfortable anywhere. Especially when he was dressed like this. If he had bound his tentacles and shoved them into those god awful shoes, maybe something different would have happened. Maybe they would have gone into that swanky restaurant, ordered extremely overpriced food and talked in hushed tones while the waitstaff bustled around them.

But here, Castiel knew it would be atmosphere was more mellow. Everything here reminded Castiel of the things he wanted in his life, a nice family, friends that cared for him, good food and a good conversation. There were one a few servers, for one, and even though everything was close together, it seemed a lot happier. The place seemed to exude home and happiness.

And Castiel could scent his mate everywhere here, so he made up his mind. "Let's go inside."

Dean's smile was so bright. He got out of the car and rushed over to the other side before Castiel even got to opening the door. He opened the door for his mate and reached his hand out. Castiel took it and slithered out. His ballet inspired tentacle shoes tapping against the road.

Dean ushered him to the door and pushed it open. Castiel was bombarded by the scents and sounds of homeliness, it was surprisingly soothing. But at the same time it felt like he was meeting Dean's parents, or something equally as intense.

A beautiful older woman appeared before them, taking Dean into a one armed hug, sniffing at his hair as she did so.

"And who do we have here?" She said, turning to Castiel. "You on a date?"

Castiel's tentacles quivered, and he fidgeted with his fingers. He smoothed out his shirt once again, wishing that no one spoke about his skirt, or his tentacles. He could see the pretty woman eyeing his outfit, but she didn't saying anything.

"This is Castiel Novak," He introduced, holding his hand out to the quivering octopus. "He's my mate."

He said that with such pride that it Castiel felt his hammering heart thudded for a different reason. Dean was so proud of him, of their mating, of their new relationship.

…why?

Castiel was nothing. He was just a weird freakish octopus shifter who sat in the back of the classroom, never speaking, only watching. He did well in school and had no social life.

Dean was everything.

"Well aren't you a handsome one," She said, holding her arm out to his shoulder. "Names Ellen, let me get you a seat." She turned and called out. "Jo!"

A pretty blonde woman about the same age as them appeared from the kitchen area. She noticed them and smiled, making her way over, she reached for Dean, hugging him and taking his scent. Her questioning eyes turned to Castiel.

Castiel suddenly felt a chill race down his spin, he suddenly felt like he should curl himself in his tentacles and run away from that steel gaze. What was this woman?

Dean growled low to the pretty blonde. "Back away Jo, Cas is my mate,"

Her demeanour completely changed when she heard that. Her body relaxed and she stepped away from Dean.

"Sorry about that," Dean said, scratching the back of his head. "Jo's pretty overprotective,"

Jo smirked, her long ears flicking back. "Let me take you two to your seat,"

Castiel followed, unsure of what else to do, his skirt billowed around his tentacles, his feet making tap-tap-tap sounds against the floor. He really wished they wouldn't. Hearing two sets of footsteps was one thing, but eight?

He just knew Jo was listening in, as was Ellen and whoever was in the kitchen. Castiel wanted to leave. They'd find out what he was and find him a freak. Then they'd make Dean leave him. He just knew it.

He tugged on Dean's shirt, stopping him. But Jo sat them into a booth. Castiel felt a little better knowing that his tentacles were hidden from view now. They sat next to the bay window, the clouds were opening up and a light splatter of rain fell to the pavement. Jo handed them tall menu's, telling them she'd be back in a few minutes to take their order. Castiel opened the menu, his fingers still shaking with nerves. But everything here seems easy.

Dean reached over, taking Castiel's free hand in his own, running his fingers soothingly over Castiel's palm. "You alright there?"

Dean was being so wonderful and Castiel didn't want to mess this date up. They were both nervous and excited. So Castiel nodded, picking something from the menu and telling Dean. He nodded and a few moments later, Jo returned, taking their order and rushing away again.

"Just relax," Dean said with a smile, his legs bumped against Castiel's tentacles, in a vouch to comfort him. Castiel wrapped his tentacle around Dean's leg, snaking up his jeans and letting his suckers press against his skin.

It was soothing, touching him, tasting him. He could scent his mate, feel him too, and even though there were people staring at him and Dean, none of them seemed to notice his tentacles, or his skirt, and none of them seemed to care.

Castiel wished he had met this kind of atmosphere earlier in his life. Maybe if he had this kind of love and care, he wouldn't be the way he was now.

Dinner went of pretty quickly.

The food was amazing, their conversation was continuous and interesting. Now Castiel knew exactly what Dean wanted to do when he finished university – he was going to work with Bobby Singer as a mechanic until he made a name for himself, and then he was going to take over or open his own shop. His brother Sam was going to be a lawyer, and he wanted to help out with that. Castiel wanted to teach, he planned to take his teaching exams and go into a nice school close by where he would be able to teach all sorts of kids all kinds of things. He wanted to make sure that no child would ever question who or what they were.

Dean had smelled so proud when he had heard what Castiel had wanted to do. Castiel had turned a faint pink at that, but they continued on with their conversations. Dean didn't seem to mind at all when more of Castiel's tentacles snaked their way up his leg, sucking on his skin. In fact, he had slid his leg closer, allowing Castiel to continue.

But the night had come, and it was finally time for them to make their way back home. Castiel was a little sad, he had wanted to spend more time with his mate. But they had the rest of their lives to do so.

The rain hadn't let up, and it soaked them both. But Dean made no move to go to his car. Castiel stood next to him, his tentacles bloating, feeling the wet ground and basking in the moist air. He raised his head to the skies, stretching his arms out and just taking the rain in.

"Have you ever been kissed in the rain?" Dean suddenly asked.

Castiel tilted his head to the side, frowning. "No, why?"

"I hear it's one of the best kisses in the world," Dean replied, holding a hand out towards the octopus. Castiel hesitated for a moment, gauging if Dean was just joking around, or if he was just curious. "Can I show you?"

He slowly took the wolf's hand. As soon as Dean had a grip on it, he pulled the octopus closer to him, sliding his arms around his back and holding him in place. The rain fell heavily, soaking their clothes. But they didn't let that hinder them. Dean's smile was so wide and childlike, that Castiel couldn't help but giggle. He looked adorable. Happy.

Without any hesitation, Dean leaned in, capturing Castiel's lips with his own. Castiel's body heated up and his tentacles wrapped possessively around Dean's legs, wanting to keep him close. The cool rain water ran down their faces, their lips slick and wet as they slid against one another. The rain made it feel like there were thousands of touches all over him, heightening the sensation all the more. His tentacles rose and wrapped themselves around Dean, reaching up into his shirt and jeans, seeking his heat, seeking his taste.

But he hesitated. His tentacles were bloated, they were seeking his heat because they were fat and eager and his suckers were huge now and Dean would get frightened by him and push him away and—

"Cas," Dean murmured into Castiel's mouth, not wanting to break the kiss. "You're not freaking me out,"

And just like that, every worry seemed to wash away with the rain. Sucking in a deep breath, Castiel tightened his grip on his mate, wrapping Dean into his tentacles and pulling him closer.

Dean let out a low moan into his mates mouth, liking where this was going. But he could feel his mate shiver, could scent his worry.

"It's alright, sunshine," Dean murmured leaning back. He took hold of one of Castiel's tentacles. He kissed the tip, making Castiel moan, and placed it on his chest, over his heart. Castiel could feel the steady thud, thud, thud, pace of his heart, quickening with arousal and lust, not fear.

Castiel nodded, tightening his grip and pulling Dean in closer. Dean moaned into his mouth, his claws coming out without his notice, and digging deliciously into Castiel's arm, his waist. His hand rose up to the base of Castiel's head, pulling him in closer, slanting their lips together for more purchase. His fangs sharpened, but Castiel revelled in the feeling of sharp nips against his bottom lip. He reached up and gripped at his mate's shoulders, impatient and wanting more.

The door to the Roadhouse opened and Castiel heard someone wolf whistle. He pushed himself from Dean, stumbling onto his tentacles.

Dean let out a breath, before he started laughing. Castiel copied him, finding the situation just as funny. When they came back down from their high, Dean reached his hand out. Castiel took it without hesitation and allowed the wolf to pull the car door open for him.

"I think you like kissing in the rain," Dean remarked.

Castiel wanted to hide in his tentacles from embarrassment, but Dean leaned in, giving him a quick peck on his lips. The octopus settled inside the car, unhappy that he was getting the soft leather wet, but Dean didn't seem to mind.

He cranked up the heat and they made their way back to Castiel's home.

All and all, it was a lovely date.


	13. Chapter 13

Alright guys. So realistically, this fic should be within the month of February/March. However. In lieu of Christmas. I'm going to consider this written in November. To further plot.

So. For those waiting for Gabriel to propose to Sam on his birthday. He's instead going to do so over Christmas. So instead of waiting for Sam to come of age. Gabriel wants permission from his parents.

Makes sense? Okay. Great. On with the show.

* * *

Dean hasn't called.

Not that Castiel was worried. It had only been two days since their date, that wonderful date where Dean had cared for him, had understood him, had helped him and shown him that Dean was not worried, nor did he care that Castiel had tentacles. They he loved his octopus mate. And then that kiss…

Castiel stood in front of his school locker, his tentacles bound and quivering in those stupid loafer shoes he had been forced to wear. Knowing that Dean didn't care about his tentacles had given him a bit of a reprieve from them. But they still had a week of classes to finish before the long Christmas holidays. And Castiel had to tie them back up, because Dean hadn't called.

Or texted.

Or anything for that matter.

In fact, even Gabriel had been loitering around the apartment this weekend. He would usually be out or at Dean's home with his mate, either studying or getting to know Sam better. But this weekend, he hadn't gotten out of the pool. Even when a small flurry of snow had fallen, and Castiel had to drag Gabriel's cold body out of the freezing pool, he had just showered and gone straight back in.

He only ever did that when he was nervous.

And that made Castiel nervous. He had spent the night listening to his brother swim laps around the pool. The sound of his heart beating, his worried and angry cries into the night air. It was well past four in the morning when Gabriel had finally tired himself out and had settled on the edge of the pool, shivering and shaking in his tail.

Dean hadn't called.

Was Dean unhappy somehow, or was he trying to avoid Castiel completely. Had something happened in their date? Castiel had spent the night going through their. Maybe Dean had wanted someone who was rich and pretty and liked going to high end restaurants like Amara's. Or maybe Dean didn't want someone who wouldn't be able to go out without fear of his tentacles showing. Or maybe he just didn't like Castiel in a skirt. Maybe he was just being nice. Giving Castiel a nice time before he dumped him.

Maybe Castiel was overthinking it. It had only been one entire day since he had last seen Dean. Everyone rested on Sundays, maybe Dean had just been busy. After all, they had left happily after the date. When Dean had dropped Castiel home, they had kissed in his car, just a few pecks, though Castiel's tentacles had other ideas. He had sought out Dean's skin, his suckers pressing against him, tasting him. Dean hadn't seemed to mind, he hadn't been put off either. He had taken Castiel tentacles in his hand, kissing them one by one on the curve. Castiel had swooned, literally swooned at the sight.

They had spoken of another date another time, soon. Dean had said he'd call, that they'd speak very soon. It had been so wonderful.

And then Dean hadn't called.

Castiel had gotten to the school building, his head hung low. His body was lethargic and he was just tired from not being able to sleep. He held a tight grip on his phone, wishing it would vibrate or ring or something.

Dean had said he'd call.

Yanking open his locker, he pulled out a few books and slotted them neatly into his bag. His heart felt heavier, he was glad to have had one date with Dean, but now that he had had it, and was probably never going to get another one. Or be with him, wrap his tentacles around him, hear him speak, hear him laugh...Castiel wished he hadn't gone on a date with him. Whoever said it was better to have loved and lost, was a liar.

But that was when he smelled that amazing cherry and motor oil scent of his mate. It was like a soothing balm over his panicking heart and it was getting stronger and stronger.

Was Dean around here somewhere? Peering behind, he could barely see through the throng of students and teachers walking around, making their way to their respective classrooms. Maybe he had just passed by and took no notice of Castiel, just like Castiel was used to. What had he expecte-?

Castiel was suddenly pulled forward, turning until his back hit the lockers, he barely had a moment to recognise Dean and his sparkling candy green eyes before a pair of soft, warm and familiar lips locked with his. It was just a quick peck, barely a brush of their lips, but Castiel melted. His tentacles wanted out, wanting to feel his mate, to taste his skin. Now that he had had a taste of Dean, he didn't want to stop. But a quick kiss would do. For now.

Wait...Dean was kissing him. In the middle of a crowded hallways. Where people were watching them.

"Morning sunshine," Dean's voice was a low murmur as he whispered into his mouth.

 _Oh..._

Castiel's arms reached up to him, clutching onto his shirt. He should push Dean away, what would people think? The hottest guy in school kissing the freak octopus.

"So I gotta ask you something." He said suddenly, pulling back and reaching for Castiel's bag. He slung it over his broad shoulders, along with his own. "I know we've only been on one date, but I was talking to my mum and...well, the holidays are coming..."

Castiel felt crestfallen. Dean _was_ breaking up with him. He hadn't called, he hadn't made any contact between their date and today. And now...his heart clenched. He thought they had a good time, but obviously he was wrong.

"No. I get it." He breathed out, looking away. He reached for his bag, wanting to run away. Run away and never look back.

Dean took Castiel's outstretched hand in his own. Grasping his hand tightly, he ushered Castiel along the long hallway to their classrooms. Castiel ducked his head down. What was Dean doing? Was he giving Castiel one last gentlemanly push before he dumped him?

"You do?" Dean said, his smile widening on his pretty face. "Great. So you're coming with us,"

Castiel's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Coming with you?"

"Yeah." Dean said with that blinding smile. "To my parents house for Christmas."

Wait, What? "Aren't you breaking up with me?"

Dean paused, making Castiel stop too. His grip tightened and Castiel suddenly felt the need to submit to the alpha standing in front of him. Dean's pretty green eyes flashed a dark, blood red, his fangs sharpening and his claws quickening.

"What?" His voice was a low growl, and he looked to the people watching them. He narrowed his gaze at them, giving them a murderous glare that made the eavesdroppers quickly bolt away from them. His expression softened when he finally turned to Castiel. "Why would you think that?"

"We've only been on one date. And you..." Castiel held in a breath, really not understanding what was going on. If Dean didn't want to break up with him, then why... "You didn't call."

Dean laughed. It was a beautiful sight to see, his head falling back, his chest rising and falling and his voice was musical, so deep. His entire body fell into the laugh. But, he was laughing at Castiel, and that made Castiel all the more confused.

"Babe." He said, reverting back to his usual humanoid self. "You didn't give me your number."

Now it was Castiel's turn to pause. "I...didn't I?"

Dean shook his head, taking hold of the octopus and pulling him in close, bending his body back at the tight grip. "God Cas, you scared me there."

Castiel itched to wrap his tentacles around Dean, wanting to apologise, to comfort his mate. "I'm sorry Dean."

They stayed like that for a while, students walking around them, many not paying attention, but many others staring at them incredulously. Castiel quivered under their gaze, but his attention was wrought in the scent of his mate, his heat, those fingers making small patterns on his back, that he didn't care what others thought about them, here right now, in their loving embrace. He was soothing his alpha, his mate.

A few moments later, which had come all too soon for the two, Dean pulled back. "So. Do you wanna come to my folks for Christmas."

"Are... Are you sure?" Castiel asked, he gazed down to himself, to his tentacles that were tied up and aching in his jeans and shoes. "I mean I'm not..." Dean's grip tightened, his eyes filled with hope. So much hope that Castiel couldn't help but conform to them. His mate wanted to show him off to his family.

Castiel sucked in a brave breath. Yes, this was what he wanted. A happy mate, with a happy, loving family. Somewhere where Castiel wouldn't feel scared or pressured or like a total freak. Maybe Dean's family were like that? Dean and Sam were such amazing wolves, so it was only probably that their parents were the same. Right?

What if they weren't? What if they took one look at Castiel and shunned him? What if they thought he was a freak too?

No, Castiel had to do this. He had to be brave. He was going to get his happily ever after. He was going to get a family that actually cared for him, that loved him and his extra quirks.

So he took in a deep breath, turning to Dean as the wolf pushed the door to the classroom for them both to enter. He stared intently into those pretty eyes, showing his intent, his confidence, his seriousness and his fear. Hoping Dean understood just how scared he was with this.

"Yes. I would love to."


	14. Chapter 14

Hey to all those interested.

I've moved this fic (and finished it with a few sequels) on my ao3 account.

Find me there as SakuraiAi


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